


Pricked by Thorns

by Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-01-05 20:17:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 30,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18373325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities
Summary: What happens when the cult kidnaps Betty, leaving her to be tortured until she breaks? Can Jughead and her friends bring her back from the shell of the person she becomes? Will she ever forgive her mother for playing a part in the torture? Bughead. I do not own the comics or show.





	1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This is an idea for a story from the wonderful kitten9322! I can't promise to update as regularly with my other stories but I'm going to try and work on it. Hope you enjoy it and feedback lovely!

Betty Cooper didn't do fear. The word wasn't even in her vocabulary. That's why, at the present moment, she wasn't shaking like a leaf due to sheer terror whilst trying break free from the restraints that held her down. No, she wasn't afraid, she was fucking angry. Angry at her mom for letting this happen. Angry at Cheryl and Kevin for being so fucking idiotic that they fell for Edgar and his stupid daughter's ideas.

Betty tried to think back to how this had happened; to how she had gotten into this predicament. She was scoping out the farm, trying to find a way in when someone, (a guard, most likely), found her. She tried outrunning him but he was tall whereas she was average height and his legs propelled him towards her much easier than hers' propelled her away from him. He caught her in a matter of moments.

That's what brought her here, strapped down to a bed in some room adjacent to the main part of the farm. It was quiet, and she didn't know what was going to happen. Just then the door to her room opened and her eyes landed first on Polly, then her mother, then finally, Edgar himself.

"Elizabeth Cooper," Edgard greeted, eyes glittering madly. She glared at him, refusing to speak. "Now, tell me something child. Why is it that your family has no problem with what I do with my farm, and yet, you bend over backwards to try and shut us down?"

"Because," Betty spit out. "You're a cult leader, Edgar. What you do is dangerous and shouldn't be happening. You've brainwashed my sister and mother into thinking you're some true hero who can bring back my brother. I know better."

Edgar traced his top lip with his tongue, eyeing her curiously.

"It's interesting that you think I'm dangerous when nothing has even happened to you," he said softly.

"Apart from being restrained to a table, you mean?" Betty quirked an eyebrow, tugging uselessly at the wraps around her wrists.

"It's for your own safety, Elizabeth," Alice said quietly, and Betty cut her eyes to her mother. It was bad enough that she had a serial killer for a father but for her own mother to encourage the kidnapping of her daughter? That was low, even by Alice Cooper's standards. Betty narrowed her eyes at her.

"Mom, please. You can't believe that this right…that this is humane!" Betty exclaimed, but all Alice did was talk towards her daughter and place a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Be a good girl, Betty; Edgar will take care of you," Alice whispered, squeezing her shoulder. Betty thrashed against the restraints as Polly walked up towards her, small smirk on her lips.

"Soon enough, you'll see just how great Edgar is. He would never hurt us," Polly said, and Betty snarled.

"You girls go on and go get dinner while I stay with Betty," Edgar said. "I'll take care of her."

The promise sounded sinister, even to Betty's ears and she once again thrashed against the restraints.

"Mom, don't leave me!" Betty cried, but all Alice did was send her a small smile before directing Polly out of the room. Then, it was just Edgar, her, and her heartbeat.

"Well, Betty, no time to beat around the bush," Edgar said cheerfully. She watched as he walked towards a tray that had something on it and closer inspection told her it was medical objects such as scalpels and knives; needles and thread. Feeling apprehensive, she watched as he picked up a scalpel, before a piece of cloth, then made his way towards her.

"You know, Betty, you need to be broke in," he murmured.

"Screw you, Edgar," Betty spat, and he grinned.

"That's the fire I'm looking for," he said, then lifted her head in his hands and tied the cloth around her mouth to where it held down her tongue; she couldn't speak anymore. Without so much as a warning, he sliced her skin on her leg, leaving her gasping. Trying not to choke on her own vomit, Betty felt her stomach churn.

"Stop, stop, stop," she mumbled through cloth.

"Shh, love, you're alright," Edgar whispered, before clumsily stitching the wound. Betty knew that patients had numbing medication to ease the pain of sewing skin back together; Edgar wasn't going to let her have that. She felt the tears come pouring out of her ducts as she breathed heavily.

"You know, Betty, I wouldn't have to do this if you just understood the way Polly and Alice did. They understood how good I was for them," he murmured. The next cut went into her wrist and Betty felt paralyzed by the pain of it.

Knowing she was in for a long night, Betty let the screams rip through her as much as they could the instant he started breaking her fingers.

XXX

Jughead's P.O.V.

Jughead Jones looked at his watch one more time before looking at Pea and Toni.

"She should've been back by now," he muttered.

"Maybe she got on the wrong bus?" Toni offered, but Jughead shook his head.

"No, she went to the farm ten hours ago – plenty of time to scope it out and be back, wrong bus or not. Something is wrong," he said, dread falling into his stomach like lead and resting uncomfortably there.

"What do you want us to do boss? You're our king and she's our queen," Pea said, lighting a cigarette. Jughead nodded, thinking furiously fast.

"We're going to break into the farm with the Serpents," he replied, and Toni visibly relaxed.

"Thank God," she muttered. "I don't trust Cheryl being there. I don't care what spell that creepy asshole has her under, there's just no way she can be seeing Jason."

Jughead nodded once. "I agree. And when Betty told me about Alice seeing Charles I knew there was more to the farm than meets the eye."

Pea cleared his throat. "We thinking Evernever kidnapped her?"

Jughead's stomach flipped uncomfortably. "If he did I'll end him myself. Now, let's go."

XXX

The Serpents pulled up to the farm at a little passed nine that night. Jughead and FP got off their bikes and turned to the rest of their gang.

"Remember, if we see anyone, knock them out quietly. We're not here for any casualties," FP reminded them, and they all nodded. Leading the way onto the grounds, Jughead followed after his father with Toni and Pea flanking his sides. They made their way into the building and all was quiet. Taking a look around, Jughead strained his ears to hear anything that might indicate where Betty was. Just then, Alice Cooper came walking towards them.

"FP?" Alice asked curiously, and his dad looked at her.

"We're here for your daughter, Alice," he said, and Alice shook her head.

"She's with Edgar. He's helping her see the way the farm works," she replied.

That left knots in Jughead's stomach. "Look, Ms. Cooper, I don't know what kind of spell this guy has you under but I can promise you, he's not helping Betty."

Just then, choked screams pierced the air and Jughead turned towards them, mind blank.

"Betty," he whispered.

Those screams seemed to resonate something inside of the formidable Alice Cooper.

"Oh my god," she uttered, looking horrified. "Is that my little girl?"

"Who the hell else would it be, Alice?" Jughead snarled, elbowing his way past her. He ran the length of the hall, following the sounds of the chilling screams, Toni and Pea right behind him. Once he reached the door the screams were emanating from, he threw all his body weight against it and it gave away easily. The sight that met his eyes made him immediately want to throw up.

Betty. Beaten. Bruised. Strapped to a table. Crying. He felt fury like nothing he had ever felt before ignite in him and he launched himself towards the man currently working on carving something into her leg. A closer look and it was the words "The Farm" spelled into her skin. Snarling, Jughead didn't hesitate to slam his elbow into his face. The satisfying crunch was only a minor happiness.

"Get. The Fuck. Away. From Her." Jughead growled.

Edgar didn't have the opportunity to reply before Sweet Pea was tackling him to the ground. Fangs, who had run after them, was helping hold him down by a boot on his hand.

"You're breaking my wrist," Edgar snapped.

"Shut the fuck up and be grateful it's only your wrist," Sweet Pea snarled.

Jughead got to Betty and pulled out the gag gently. "Baby?"

"Juggie," Betty sighed his name, and he kissed her forehead gently, mindful of the fact that every inch of her was black and blue. He gently got her wrists free, trying to not cry when she screamed in pain.

"Shh, baby, shh. It's okay," he murmured. "What hurts? Is anything broken?"

"My fingers and I think some of ribs," she mumbled, eyes drooping shut. Jughead chanced a glance at her swollen fingers, swallowing the bile in the back of his throat, before looking at the gash on her forehead.

"How'd the gash happen?" Jughead whispered.

"He cut me, along with all the other cuts on my body," she muttered. Jughead gritted his teeth, unsure of how much blood she had lost. Just then, he heard crying.

"Betty, my baby, no!" Alice shrieked, and Jughead glared at her, and Polly, Cheryl, and Kevin who were all standing in the room, horror struck by the sight of their friend and family member.

"I swear, if she dies, I'll come after each and everyone of you traitors," he snapped.

"Jug…," Toni said softly.

"No, T, don't defend your girlfriend. She played a hand in this by joining this fucking cult. Now, before I loose it completely, I'm getting Betty the hell out of here and to the hospital. Dad, wait here with Evernever and I'll call your men to come arrest him," he said, and FP nodded, pride shining in his eyes.

"Get your girl home," he said, and Jughead picked her up, cradling her to his chest.

"Sleep now, sweetheart," he murmured, carrying her away from the horror that had been inflicted on her.

Author's note: Comments appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

By the time the ambulance arrived, Jughead was waiting on pins and needles. He knew he couldn't get Betty to the hospital on his motorcycle safely, so had no other option but to call an ambulance. How long it took the paramedics to get to the farm left him reeling. But, that all passed once they pulled out a gurney.

"You've got to step back, kid," the first paramedic said. Jughead nodded, knowing they needed to do their job and he couldn't be a hindrance; not if he wanted Betty to get to the hospital as soon as possible. As the paramedics lifted Betty onto the gurney and got ready to strap her legs down so she wouldn't roll off, her screams pierced the air.

"No! No! Don't tie me down! Jughead, make them stop!" Betty screamed, thrashing around wildly. Jughead ran towards her, paramedics wishes be damned. He cradled her face gently, mindful once more of all the bruises.

"Baby, breathe," he murmured. "It's okay, Betty. No one will hurt you ever again."

His soft words did little to soothe her as she continued to kick out against the paramedics. After a particularly nasty hit to one of their shins, Jughead was moved to the side as one of them injected a needle into his girlfriend's arm.

"What are you doing?" Jughead yelled.

"She needs to relax," the medic explained. "The agitated state she's in is not good for her condition."

Jughead looked at Betty apprehensively and saw the way the fight was drained out of her as her eyelids slowly closed. The last thing he heard from her was a quiet, "stay with me, Juggie." Then, she was unconscious. Swallowing nervously, Jughead cut his eyes to the medics.

"it was safe, yes? The injection you gave her?" Jughead demanded, and they both nodded in synchronization.

"It's just going to help make her journey to hospital smooth and comfortable," one assured. Then, "come on, we've got to go."

Jughead waited for them to wheel his girlfriend into the back of the ambulance before jumping in after them, not worried about his motorcycle for a second; someone would get it back to him.

XXX

Once they arrived at the hospital, it was a flurry of activity the moment the back door of the ambulance swung open. Nurses rushed forward to help pull the gurney towards the entrance to the emergency department and Jughead was left hurtling out after them. He ran with them into the hospital, getting as far as the entrance to the OR before someone stopped him with a hand to his chest. For one wild moment he had the crazy notion to punch them in their face. Then, he took a breath and looked at the doctor who was frowning at him in sympathy.

"You cannot go back there with us," she said urgently but gently.

Jughead nodded bitterly. "I know. Just, please take care of her."

"We will. Now wait here until we can get some answers for you," the doctor replied, and then was gone in a whirlwind of movement, white coat flapping behind her as she ran into the OR they had wheeled Betty into.

As Jughead sank down against the wall, he knew he had phone calls to make. Not sure when the doctor would be back with any sort of news, he began dialing his friend's number, knowing Archie needed to know about Betty.

XXX

By the time Archie showed up with a scared looking Veronica Lodge, Jughead had drank his way through three cups of bitter hospital coffee.

"Jughead!" Archie called as he ran. Jughead stood up from the ground he was sitting on, opening his mouth to do…what? Apologize to his friend that his best friend got hurt and he did nothing? The guy had just lost his dad, how much more could he take? To his complete astonishment, Archie pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry," Jughead croaked, voice breaking on the last word. Archie pulled back and placed a brotherly hand on his shoulder.

"This is not your fault, man," he said firmly. "None of us had any idea how bad the farm was."

"Betty did," Jughead whispered. It was Veronica's turn to speak up.

"Jughead Jones don't you dare blame yourself the way I know you are," she said quietly but determinedly. Jughead didn't know what to say to that.

"Is Betty okay?" Archie asked.

"She's in surgery," Jughead said quietly. "It's…it's not good."

Veronica inhaled shakily before squaring her shoulders. "She's Betty fucking Cooper. Tough as nails. She's survived far worse than this. We need to remember that."

Jughead wasn't sure when Veronica Lodge had become the voice of encouragement in their group but in that moment, he was utterly thankful for her.

"Thank you, Ronnie," he replied quietly. Just then, there was a commotion at the entrance of the hospital and the three friends' heads snapped up towards the noise. Jughead's eyes narrowed as he saw Alice, Polly, Kevin, and Cheryl all running into the hospital. Clenching his fists, he turned his body to glare at them as they reached him.

"Is she okay?" Alice demanded fearfully. "Is my little girl okay?"

"Go to hell, Alice," Veronica snapped, fury coating her voice. Archie and Jughead looked at her in surprise. It wasn't that Jughead didn't share her sentiment, it was that he didn't think she would ever have the guts to stand up to the terrifying woman.

"Excuse me?" Alice asked, thunderstruck.

"You heard me," Veronica hissed. "Go to hell. It's your fault my best friend is in surgery right now."

"Listen, young lady," Alice began, but Veronica cut her off with a resounding thwack as she slapped her open palm across her cheek, sending Alice's head snapping in the other direction.

"Don't you dare," Veronica said, fury rolling off her in waves. "Don't you dare stand there and bull shit your way through your miserable excuses as to why you're a horrible mother. You messed up, Alice. Plain and simple."

"Ronnie," Archie said quietly, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Come on, there's been enough pain for one night."

"And, where were you, Cheryl? Where were you when my best friend, your cousin was being tortured?" Veronica turned her anger onto the vivacious redhead who seemed so small in that moment.

"I…," she trailed off, but Veronica held a hand up to silence her.

"Save it, I don't want to hear your pathetic attempt at defending yourself," she snapped.

"Is she okay?" Kevin asked quietly. "Betty? Is she okay?"

Jughead glared at him. "Thanks to you and the rest of you idiots, she's in surgery. I swear on my life, if she doesn't make it, I'm taking you all down."

Just then, FP and the rest of the Serpents came running in. Toni reached them first, going to Cheryl automatically.

"Are you alright?" Toni asked her girlfriend quietly, but before she could answer, Jughead laughed bitterly.

"Don't ask her that, Toni. I don't give a shit if she's alright. She played a part in this," he snapped. Toni turned her wide eyes onto Jughead, who knew he was more like a brother to her than anything else.

"Jug," she began. "She didn't meant to."

It was Cheryl who spoke up next. "I love you for defending me, TT, but had I not been so enamored with talking to JJ, I could've seen Edgar for what he really was."

At the mention of that monster, Jughead looked at his dad. "Did you get him arrested? I called your men in the ambulance."

FP nodded. "They came and raided the farm. Evernever got arrested, along with some other adults. The children were taken by CPS, and his daughter was taken off to a mental health facility to be evaluated."

Before Jughead had the chance to reply with more than, "Thank God", the doctor who had taken Betty to surgery walked out and every head in the group turned to look at her.

"Is she okay?" Jughead asked nervously, knots coiling tightly in his stomach. The doctor took off her glasses and rubbed them on her coat; she looked tired. She nodded, nonetheless.

"The surgery was a success. We had to reset her fingers that had been broken, along with cut open the cuts on her body so they could be stitched up properly. She's been branded with the words, "The Farm", too," the doctor said, and Jughead wanted to throw up all over again.

"How dare he," Alice said, aghast and deathly white.

"Shut up, Alice," Veronica snarled.

"There wasn't anything we could do about the branding," the doctor said apologetically.

"So, my best friend will have a constant reminder of a horrific night?" Archie asked with dread, and the doctor sighed.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"No, it's okay. You saved her life," Cheryl spoke up softly, tears gathered in her eyes. "Can we see her?"

"Okay, first of all, there is no, "we"," Jughead snapped, irritated by the thought alone. "You guys who played a hand in this don't deserve the chance to see her."

"Son, be reasonable," FP said quietly, looking at Jughead imploringly.

"Dad," Jughead sighed, but FP held up his hand.

"She's Alice's daughter," he reminded him softly.

It was Alice who spoke up this time.

"Please, Jughead," she said brokenly. "Let me see my daughter and try to make amends."

Jughead glared at her, thinking fast. "Fine, but the first sign of distress and I'm personally kicking you out."

"That's fair," Alice agreed, relief etched across her face.

"Only three of you at a time," the doctor said kindly, so, with those words, it was Jughead, Polly, and Alice that walked into the room.

Once he got a good look at Betty, who had her hand in a cast, cuts sewn back up, and bruised and puffy skin, he tried not to cry.

"Baby," he whispered, sitting down next to her.

She was sleeping, that much was clear. He raised her nondamaged hand and kissed her palm gently.

"You've got to wake up, sweetheart. You've got a lot of people worried about you," he murmured.

"I'm comfortable, Juggie," came the sleepy reply, and Jughead could've laughed, he was so relieved to hear her voice.

"I promise, you can sleep soon if you just open your eyes for a bit," he assured. He watched the way her eyebrows scrunched up adorably, before opening her eyes blearily.

"What happened?" Betty whispered into the quiet room. Before he could reply, Alice spoke up.

"You were at the farm, baby," she began, but before she had a chance to reply, Betty's heart monitor started sky rocketing.

"Get out of here! GET HER OUT OF HERE!" Betty screamed, kicking her legs out wildly. Jughead stood up from the chair he perched himself in, clasping her face in his hands gently.

"You've got to breathe, sweetheart," he said urgently, before turning to Alice. "Leave."

It wasn't a question.

"Betty, sweetheart," Alice said, reaching a hand out to touch her; Jughead slapped it away.

"I said leave," he snapped.

The doctor came in a moment later.

"Ms. Cooper, I'm going to have to ask you to leave as it's clear my patient is distressed," she said firmly. With a choked sob, Alice left, pulling Polly along with her as the doctor injected Betty with more medication; she was closing her eyes moments later.

"She'll be alright," the doctor assured Jughead softly. "She just needs time to heal."

Nodding, he sat back down in the chair, holding her hand and waiting for her to wake up and come back to him again.

Author's note: Thank you SO much for all the kind words on the first chapter. Glad you liked it! Reviews are lovely! Xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Jughead sat with Betty for the rest of the night, going as far as refusing to leave her room to go home and sleep when his dad tried to come collect him.

"No offense dad, but I can't think of a less appealing idea than going back to the house," he said, and FP nodded grimly.

"Figured you'd say that," he replied. "Just thought I'd try."

Jughead nodded once, eyes on his girlfriend who was resting peacefully. Whether or not it was due to the medication in her system, he didn't know, but she wasn't plagued with nightmares and for that, he was eternally grateful.

"Get some sleep, alright?" FP asked quietly, and Jughead nodded to appease his father.

"I will," he said.

After a quick squeeze on his shoulder, FP left the room and Jughead turned his attention once more on his resting girlfriend.

"Hey, you," he murmured, taking in all the bruises and cuts that were inflicted upon her. A closer look told him that she had dug her nails into her palms at some point during the time she was on the farm and he felt his heart break. Inhaling shakily, he rubbed comforting strokes against her knuckles.

XXX

He wasn't sure when he fell asleep but the next thing he knew he was being woken up by loud shouting.

"What the hell?" Jughead muttered, looking quickly at Betty who still seemed to be out for the count. Dropping a quick kiss to her forehead, he stood up and made his way into the hallway. The sight that he found left him seething.

"Alice, what the hell are you doing here?" Jughead growled, clenching his fists at the sight of the older woman. She turned to look at him, expression stony.

"I'm here to see my daughter, Jughead," she snapped, her tone not lost on him. He quirked an eyebrow.

"I thought I told you to leave?" Jughead demanded, and she laughed incredulously.

"I'm not going to be scared of a teenage boy," Alice spit disdainfully, and Jughead chuckled. The sound was sharp and unamused.

"Are you forgetting who I am, Alice? Who I have at my disposal?" Jughead challenged her, folding his arms across his chest. His posture was tense; he was ready for a fight.

"Oh, how silly of me to forget that you're the Serpent King," Alice replied, chuckling mirthlessly.

Jughead's eyes narrowed. "You'd be wise to remember that, Alice."

Alice Cooper rolled her eyes and Jughead was left with the crazy notion to slap the stupid smirk off her face, much in the same way Ronnie had done hours before. If it wasn't for the fact that he swore he'd never raise his hand to a woman in his life, despite it being Alice Cooper, he might engage in the activity.

"Move, Jughead," Alice snapped, pushing her way past him. Jughead scrambled to follow after her into Betty's hospital room where, he noticed with dread, she was blinking her eyes open lazily.

"Juggie?" Betty's voice was hoarse, and he winced when she drew in a sharp inhalation, momentarily forgetting that she had several broken ribs.

"I'm right here, baby," he murmured, clutching her hand in his and shielding her body from her mother's eyes.

"Who were you talking to?" Betty mumbled. "I heard you out in the hallway."

Before Jughead had a chance to reply, Alice stepped into Betty's line of sight, smiling at her.

"Hi, sweetheart," she said. Jughead watched as Betty's eyes grew round.

"No. No, no, no!" Betty screamed, kicking out her legs. "Juggie, make her leave. MAKE HER LEAVE!"

Jughead gripped Betty's hand gently, rubbing comforting strokes against the back of her palm, eyes on her heart monitor.

"Baby, I need you take a deep breath for me. Can you do that, sweetheart? Just breathe," he whispered, continuously rubbing her palm. If he had hoped his soothing tone would ease her stress, he had greatly misjudged. Betty continued to kick out, tears spilling from her eyes, and for one terrifying moment, Jughead was frozen, unsure of what to do.

"IT'S HER FAULT I'M HERE. MAKE HER LEAVE." Betty screamed. Betty pulled her hands out of Jughead's grasp and reached for the nearest object she could. She threw the cup resting on her bedside across the room, crying. "Leave! Leave! Please, for the love of my sanity, just LEAVE!"

Jughead glared at Alice, who was standing shell-shocked, taking in her daughter's fear.

"Get the fuck out of here. Now!" Jughead growled. With dread, he noticed her heartrate picking up speed as his girlfriend thrashed around wildly in the bed. He simply didn't know what to do but he knew he had to do something. Betty had started clenching her fists and he noticed the blood trickling down her wrists in horror. Gently but swiftly, he unclenched her fists, pressing his fingers underneath hers'.

"Don't do that, please baby," he whispered imploringly.

Her heart monitor was beeping shrilly and then, when he thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as convulsions took over her body.

"Betty!" Jughead shouted. She was shaking, that much was clear. He barely spared Alice a glance as he yelled at her.

"For once in your life, make yourself fucking useful, and go get a damn doctor!" Jughead yelled. He heard the way she ran out of the room and Jughead focused all of his attention back on his convulsing girlfriend.

"Betty? Hey, hey, Betty, it's okay," he whispered like a mantra, trying and failing to get her to come back to him. The doctor ran in just then and pushed him out of the way.

"What's wrong with her?" Jughead demanded fearfully.

"She's having a seizure due to stress," the doctor said. The doctor propped Betty's head up as a nurse held her shoulders down. "Careful so she doesn't bite her tongue."

Jughead felt fear ripple through him. He had been through a lot in his young life and had always come out stronger. A mother who left only to return back and turn his town into a drug factory; an alcoholic father who had fallen off the wagon a time or two; he had survived a lot. But this? This he wasn't sure if he was going to survive. Not if Betty didn't survive it first.

He watched as the doctor's hands were replaced by another nurse. When her hands were free, the doctor didn't hesitate to inject medication into Betty and for once, Jughead was relieved to see the way her body went still and she relaxed, succumbing to medication's pull. When she was completely relaxed, Jughead felt himself slowly starting to relax.

"Thank you," he whispered, voice catching in his throat as he looked at his love's face.

The doctor nodded before looking at Alice Cooper who had shrunk back into the shadows.

"I'm not going to ask you again: you need to leave, Ms. Cooper," the doctor said firmly.

"She's my daughter," Alice wailed, but Jughead had had enough. Straightening his shoulders, he turned to glare at the woman.

"That's the last fucking time you get to claim that, Alice," he snapped. "It's your fault she's here. I swear on my life; I will get her away from you and your poisonous clutches."

"Leave," the doctor said, tone booking no room for argument. Alice stared at them before her shoulders slumped and she left. Jughead knew this was just the beginning.

Author's note: Comments greatly appreciated! Xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: This story will mainly be told from Jughead's P.O.V. I'm branching out a bit and changing the way I write things. Thanks so much for all the love this story has received! I will reply to comments from Archive Of Our Own later on when I finish reading them all. Enjoy this chapter!

The next morning brought a stiff back for Jughead from having slept in the hospital chair but a more coherent Betty, so he wouldn't complain. As he watched Betty look around the room, there was panic in her eyes for a brief moment that settled down the way a storm on land settles down. He knew she was looking for Alice and was relieved once she realized that her mother was nowhere to be found.

"Juggie?" Betty said quietly.

"Yeah, baby?" Jughead asked equally as soft.

"Please don't let them knock me out with medication anymore. I don't like the way it makes me feel," she muttered. He brushed his lips across her forehead, mindful of the cut that had been stitched up.

"Not unless you really need it, baby," he assured.

She seemed to be appeased by that answer because she was nodding a moment later. Just then, there was a gentle knock at the door and they both turned their heads toward it curiously. Veronica and Archie peered around the door a moment later, soft smiles adorning their faces.

"Hey, B, was wondering if you felt up to some visitors?" Veronica asked.

"As long as it's not my mother, I'm happy to see you guys," she replied, and Veronica's nostrils flared.

"Did she come back last night?" Veronica demanded as she walked into the room, Archie following behind her with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He placed them down on the table next to Betty's bed and leaned down to hug his best friend. As Betty nodded her head in response to Veronica's question, her arms reached out to wrap around Archie.

"She came back," Betty confirmed. "Sent me into a fit of sorts."

"What happened?" Archie asked, perching himself on the edge of her bed. Jughead and Betty shared a look with one another and Betty nodded at him. Taking her hand in his, Jughead looked at the other two members of their group.

"Betty had a seizure last night due to stress," he said, heart thumping harshly inside of his chest at the thought of his girlfriend in so much pain.

"That manipulative bitch," Veronica growled. "Coming back here after everyone leaves and demanding to see Betty to the point where it jeopardizes her health. I'll end her myself."

A soft smile split across Betty's bruised face. "Thanks, V."

Jughead looked at Archie. "Have you heard from any of the traitors that were on the farm?"

Archie shook his head. "No. Kevin is keeping his distance, as is Cheryl. I think Toni is playing a huge hand in that, in all honesty. She saw how mad you were at Cheryl last night."

"Yeah, well, can you blame me?" Jughead muttered, anger still coating his words. He felt Betty squeeze his hand and looked at her.

"We shouldn't be too harsh on them. They were manipulated by Evernever," she murmured, but Jughead was shaking his head.

"Babe, I love you, but we're going to have to agree to disagree on that statement," he replied. "You were put through a traumatic experience because of them and, considering what happened last night with Alice, you seem to have PTSD because of it."

Betty sighed. "Fantastic."

Before any of them could say anything else, there was another soft knock at the door. Looking up, Jughead found himself narrowing his eyes at the sight of Polly.

"What the hell are you doing here, Polly?" Jughead spat, still angry with the older Cooper sister. Polly had the decency to look contrite.

"Please, Jughead, I just wanted a chance to apologize to Betty," she murmured, but Jughead was shaking his head.

"Not a chance in hell," he snapped. "You're part of the reason why she's here."

"Please, Jughead, I'm begging you," Polly said softly, but Betty had sat up by this point, glaring at her sister.

"Leave," she said coldly.

"Betty -," Polly began in surprise, but Betty didn't give her the chance to finish.

"I said leave!" Betty shouted. "Juggie is right: you are partly to blame for me being here. If you hadn't been so obsessed with Evernever and kissing the ground he walked on, maybe this could have been prevented. I don't want to see you, Polly!"

Polly was wringing her hands together. "Betty, please, don't be difficult."

At this, Veronica turned and leveled the older Cooper sister with a glare.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Veronica demanded. "Did you seriously just say that Betty was being difficult? How dare you. How dare you. 1. It's your fault Betty is here. 2. She is not being difficult just because she doesn't want to give you the time of day. 3. If you're not out of this room in five seconds, I'll do what I did to Alice and slap that obnoxious look off your face."

"You wouldn't dare," Polly smirked.

"Don't tempt me," Veronica whispered threateningly. When all Polly did was stand there and smirk, Veronica raised her hand and slapped it across her face, sending Polly's head snapping in the other direction. Cradling her cheek, Polly stared at Veronica, shell-shocked. "I said don't tempt me."

Betty had found her voice by this point. "You can go to hell, Polly. You and mom. I begged you guys to not leave me with Evernever and you did. You just left me there, strapped to a table. You didn't care what he had planned because you thought he was this amazing guy who hung the moon. You didn't want anything to do with me last night and now I don't want anything to do with you."

Polly had the audacity to stamp her foot and Jughead was snarling.

"Betty, you can't do this!" Polly wailed, but Jughead had had enough.

Standing up, he grasped Polly by the wrist, working extra hard to not snap it the way he wanted to, and dragged her out of the room. "You'd best think about the consequences of you showing your face around my girlfriend again, Polly." Then, he slammed the door in her face.

Betty was sitting on the bed, trying to take deep breaths, and Jughead watched as Archie looked on helplessly.

"Betty, try putting your head between your knees," Archie instructed, but Jughead's girlfriend just shook her head.

"I c-can't," she muttered, voice shaking. Jughead hurried to her and clasped her hand gently in his. He rubbed comforting strokes up and down her back.

"Just take a breath, baby. It's just you and me, alright? No one here is going to hurt you, I promise," he murmured soothingly into her ear. He got behind her on the bed and pulled her into his chest, careful of her ribs and cast, and continued his soft ministrations of rubbing her back. "Shh, baby, shh."

When Betty had gotten control over her breathing, she exhaled shakily, looking at her friends and Jughead.

"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice, but Jughead was already shaking his head.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, alright?" Jughead said gently but firmly. "Absolutely nothing, baby."

Betty nodded as the energy drained out of her and she fell asleep curled up against Jughead's chest. Jughead looked at his two friends.

"We're taking down everyone who was involved with this. I need to know if you two are in or not right now," he said quietly.

Archie and Veronica shared a looked before nodding. "We're in."

Author's note: Up next, Cheryl and Kevin. If there's anything you want to see, just let me know! Xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Jughead watched as Betty slept. For the second time since the whole ordeal had started, she looked peaceful, like she wasn't tied down by nightmares. Dropping a kiss to her head gently, he tightened his arms around her and looked back at Archie and Veronica.

"Are we going to involve the Serpents?" Archie asked quietly, and Jughead nodded immediately.

"Absolutely. They were a part of the rescue team and helped bring down Evernever and his stupid cult. I'm not sidelining them now," he replied.

"Even Toni?" Veronica asked skeptically, and Jughead knew she was thinking about his friend's loyalty to her girlfriend. Sighing, Jughead thought through his words before replying for a second time.

"Toni, if she's willing to, can stay on and help for as long as she wants," he said quietly.

"Even if it means that Cheryl will be around Betty?" Veronica questioned with pursed lips.

Jughead sigh. "Knowing Toni, she's going to put her foot down on me forgiving Cheryl. Especially since the Pretty Poisons disbanded and they're both back in the gang now."

Veronica's lips, if possible, thinned even more. "I don't care what Cheryl has to say in her defense; nothing excuses her from her part in this."

"Babe, don't you think you're being a bit too quick to judge?" Archie asked softly.

"She has a point," a sleepy voice murmured, and all three of their eyes snapped down to Betty, who was waking up.

"Hey, you," Jughead murmured, kissing her cheek gently, mindful, as always, of her stitches.

"How long was I out for?" Betty asked quietly.

Checking his phone, Jughead looked back at his girlfriend. "About an hour or so. Do you feel more rested?"

"Yes," Betty replied.

Archie looked at her. "Betty, I thought you said we shouldn't be so quick to judge Cheryl? And, Kevin for that matter."

Betty shrugged tiredly. "I know I did. But, if it wasn't for them and my idiotic mother and sister, I might not be in this situation."

"There's no "might not" about it, love. You definitely wouldn't," Jughead muttered.

Veronica nodded. "He's right, B."

"I know," Betty sighed.

Jughead watched as different emotions played across his girlfriend's face and wondered what she was thinking.

"Where's your head at, baby?" Jughead asked.

"I guess I'm just really trying to come to terms with what happened," she murmured. "I mean, Edgar tortured me. My so-called family did nothing; Kevin and Cheryl did nothing. I'm just really mad."

"And, you have every right to be, Betty," Veronica assured firmly.

Just then, there was a gentle knock at the door and everyone looked up to spot Toni, Sweet Pea, Cheryl, and Kevin. Sweet Pea had an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, boss, I couldn't hold Cheryl and Toni off any longer than I already had," he grimaced, and Jughead sighed. He definitely didn't want to deal with this.

"What do you want, Cheryl?" Jughead snapped, and she looked ashamed of herself.

"I came to apologize to my cousin," she replied quietly, head bowed and hands clasped primly in front of her.

"Just, hear her out, Jug," Toni implored when he opened his mouth to reply. A quick look at Betty, and Jughead was nodding, albeit reluctantly.

Walking further into the room, Cheryl and Toni stopped just shy of Betty's bed and Cheryl got a good look at her.

"Oh my god," she gasped, eyes traveling over all of her cuts and stitches; over her cast.

"Do you believe me now, Cheryl? Believe that Edgar is nothing but a monster?" Betty asked bitterly, tone coated in resentment.

Cheryl's lip quivered. "Betty, I'm so sorry. So, so sorry. I wish I had listened to you in the first place. This could've been prevented."

"Yeah, but you didn't, did you? Listen to her?" Veronica snapped, standing up from where she had been perched on the edge of Betty's hospital bed. "And now, because of your idiocy, my best friend has a long road of recovery ahead of her."

When Cheryl opened and closed her mouth several times, seemingly at a loss for words, it was Kevin who spoke up. "Please, Ronnie, give us a chance to make this right."

"I don't think you can, man," Sweet Pea said from where he was standing slightly behind them. "You guys fucked up. Big time."

"Whose side are you on, Pea?" Toni demanded, and the tall Serpent folded his arms.

"This isn't about taking sides, T. This is about knowing the difference between right and wrong. I have done some questionable things in my life, no denying that, but at least they have always been aimed to making the town safer," he replied firmly. "Cheryl and Kevin were too busy being obsessed with Evernever to notice that he wasn't a good guy."

"Pea," Betty said quietly, smiling softly at her friend.

He nodded his head once at her. "You're my queen, Betty. By default, we protect each other."

"Thank you," she murmured.

Just then, Archie spoke up. "Kevin, where the hell were you when my best friend was being tortured? Your friend since elementary school?"

Kevin didn't have a reply as tears gathered in his eyes and he stared at the floor in shame.

"You just left her there. Literally did nothing," Archie continued, voice rising. Jughead knew that he was bound to snap eventually; his friend had just lost his dad and then had to witness his own best friend recover from an attack. The guy surely had limits on how much he could handle.

"Arch," Kevin began, but Archie stood up at this point, crossing the room in three quick strides and pushed Kevin up against the wall.

"No, you don't get to do that," he hissed, eyes narrowed. "You don't get to defend yourself. What you did was wrong, end of discussion. What the fuck happened to you, man? You used to be someone I was proud to call a friend."

"I know it doesn't excuse my behavior," Kevin began shakily. "But I've been so lost since Moose left."

Archie didn't wait around to hear anymore before his fist collided with his face. Jughead stared on in shock, as did everyone else in the room.

"That's a pathetic excuse and you know it," Archie growled, breathing heavily.

It was Cheryl who broke the silence first.

"Please, Archie, just give us a chance to make things right," she pleaded.

"You can't, Cheryl," Veronica snapped. "This isn't some minor mistake you made in school; you guys hurt Betty. Probably more than Evernever ever could."

"Please, just leave," Betty said quietly.

"Betty," Cheryl whispered.

"Leave," she reiterated firmly.

Jughead watched as his girlfriend's shoulders shook; watched as her fists clenched. Hurriedly, he pushed his own fingers underneath her nails so she couldn't do anymore damage before looking at Kevin, Cheryl, and Toni.

"You heard her," he said.

"I'm so sorry," Cheryl whispered, before turning and walking out of the room. Kevin stared at Betty for a long moment, pain etched across his face, before he too left. When it was just Toni and Sweet Pea left in the room, Jughead looked at them.

"Toni, I know you love her but…," he trailed off, trying to find the words that might lessen the sting but at the same time, not really giving a fuck if the words hurt.

She sighed. "I get it Jug. It's going to take time."

With that, and a quick smile at Betty, she too left, following after her girlfriend.

"I'll talk to her," Sweet Pea promised, and Jughead nodded.

"Please do," was all he said, and Sweet Pea left.

Jughead knew it had to get worse before it got better.

Author's note: Don't worry, more of Cheryl and Kevin. And, Sweet Pea too. Comments appreciated. Thanks for the love for this story! Also, Archie is going to be a bit darker in this story due to Fred dying and seeing Betty hurt. I'm really going to utilize their friendship as an anchor of sorts for him. And, feisty Veronica is best Veronica. Enjoy! Xxx


	6. Chapter 6

FP Jones made his own visit later that day, after all the chaos had calmed down. Standing at the foot of Betty's bed, he had shoved his hands into his pockets and was looking decidedly uncomfortable. Licking his lips nervously, he began speaking.

"Betty, I just wanted to say how sorry I am that you had to endure what you endured," he muttered, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck.

"It's not your fault, FP," Betty said, smiling as much as her swollen cheeks would let her. "I owe my life to you and the Serpents."

Still, Jughead thought to himself. Still. They weren't quick enough to prevent any damage from being done in the first place. His father seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Had I just questioned how much Alice had worshiped Edgar, this could have been prevented altogether," FP exhaled a sigh, folding his arms across his chest and crossing his ankles.

"FP, please believe me when I say this is not your fault. It's not Jug's, either. What happened, happened. I need to focus on healing and taking care of the Serpents who took care of me," she murmured, an urgent sense behind her words.

Jughead watched as his father took in Betty's expression carefully before eventually nodding.

"Thanks, Betty," he replied gratefully. She smiled.

"Dad," Jughead began. "Did you get any word on Evelyn?"

FP sighed. "Not much. The hospital she went to for the evaluation cannot release her diagnosis, if there is one, to me. It's a privacy matter."

"There's definitely going to be a diagnosis," Jughead muttered. He was normally an advocate for the people who suffered from mental health but when it came to Evelyn and her father, he knew he could make an exception.

FP barked out a laugh. "Absolutely, kid."

It was Archie who spoke up then. "What are the Serpents going to do?"

"What do you mean?" FP asked curiously.

"I mean for Betty. For my best friend. What's your plan of revenge?" Archie demanded. Jughead and his dad exchanged a look.

"Look, Archie," FP began uneasily. "The revenge was shutting down the farm and getting those children to safety."

"And, what? Betty gets swept under the rug?" Archie demanded, folding his arms.

"Arch," Betty said quietly, but it was Jughead who interrupted this time.

"Archie has a point, dad. We cannot just forget about the horrors that were inflicted upon Betty. She didn't do anything to deserve the torture she was subjected to," Jughead said, fists clenching involuntarily at the thought of his girlfriend in pain.

"They're right, Mr. Jones," Veronica piped up, eyes possessing a fiery determination. "Betty deserves revenge."

"Well," FP began slowly, eyes on all of them. "Edgar's set to go to trial in about two to three weeks. It's not going to be pretty because he was able to afford one of the best defense attorneys in the state. She flew down from the city to help prep him for court. Which, will undoubtedly be grueling."

"What's this mean for me?" Betty asked quietly, fiddling with her cast. Jughead caught her hand and held it in his own, tracing soothing patterns across the back of her knuckles as he looked at his father expectantly.

"Honestly, Betty? Trial is going to be harsh. Evernever's attorney is tough as shit. When you're up on the stand she's going to grill you so hard, you'll start to believe that you're the one who tortured yourself, not Evernever," FP admitted.

"That's fantastic," Jughead muttered. "Is there anyway we can bypass Betty having to go through trial?"

"Kid, don't be ridiculous," FP sighed. "You know we can't."

They all fell silent then, with Jughead running his thumb across Betty' knuckles in comforting strokes. He took in her expression and, while she did seem like she wanted to cry, she held herself together admirably, for which, he was utterly proud of her. Every time she cried, he wanted to shed his skin and let her use it as a tissue, hoping to bring her a least an ounce of the comfort she always brought him.

"It's okay, Juggie," Betty said softly but with determination. "I'll go to court and get up on the stand. If Evernever wants a fight, he'll get one hell of a fight."

"That's my girl," Jughead whispered, kissing her cheek, mindful of the stitches. Betty burrowed herself into his chest and Jughead wrapped his arms tighter around her. He knew what she was after; she was seeking reassurance and security after the last few, painfully messy days. He'd be honored to oblige her wishes.

"What about Alice and Polly?" Betty asked. "Do they have to go to trial too?"

"Your mother," FP said.

"Alice," Betty interrupted firmly.

"Alice," FP amended quietly, "will have to go to court. We're not sure about Polly yet."

"So, Betty has to face that awful woman inside of a courthouse and in front of a judge?" Veronica demanded incredulously.

"Unfortunately, yes," FP muttered.

Jughead looked at his girlfriend. "Where's your head at, sweetheart?"

"Well," Betty shrugged. "Nothing to be done about it now. I'm not sure how I feel about my mother facing potential jail time but I can't just forget her role in my kidnapping and torture, either."

"And, I'll definitely not forget it," Archie said bitterly.

"Where's Betty going to stay during trial?" Jughead asked, looking to his father.

"With me, of course," Veronica replied. "She can stay for as long as she likes."

"V, I appreciate the offer, but I can't intrude on your family," Betty murmured.

"Nonsense, B, you know you're my sister," Veronica said firmly. "Mom will be happy to bring you into our home and considering daddy doesn't live there anymore, he doesn't get a say in the matter. We can even sneak over Jughead as often as you'd like."

"I'm just going to pretend like I didn't hear that," FP sighed.

"Wise idea, Mr. Jones," Veronica said, eyes twinkling.

The atmosphere had shifted into one of lightheartedness for the time being and Jughead was utterly grateful. He knew it was the calm before the storm but for this one brief moment, he was going to enjoy the respite as much as he could.

Author's note: Super short one to get the ball rolling in the direction I need to. Feedback lovely and ideas welcomed! Xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Betty's P.O.V. for this chapter.

Betty was discharged from the hospital after a couple more days of care. Jughead and her friends hadn't left her side and she was immensely grateful to them. They had proved to be exceptional people who loved her. Not that she ever questioned that. Not after everything they had been through. As Jughead wheeled her out of the hospital and to FP's pickup truck, FP held the door open for them, smiling softly at Betty.

"Good to see you out of the hospital bed, Betty," he said, and she dipped her head appreciatively.

"Feels good to be out of it," she replied with her own smile. Jughead helped her to her feet and helped her ease into the car, careful to make sure to not jostle her ribs which still gave her a great deal of discomfort. Just then, Veronica and Archie appeared on either side of her.

"Mr. Jones," Veronica began, but the older man interrupted her.

"FP, Ronnie," he replied. "Mr. Jones was my old man."

Veronica nodded. "FP, are you driving us straight to my place?"

Jughead interjected. "No, we're going to stop by Pop's so Betty can have something other than bland hospital food."

Betty sighed happily. She was tired of the hospital's rubbery food. "Thanks, Juggie."

As FP started the truck, Betty leaned into the arm her boyfriend wrapped around her shoulder, resting her head on his chest. She was tired but it was so much more than just not having a good night's sleep. She was exhausted to the bone, feeling the tiredness creep into her soul. She assumed being tortured would do that to a person. She closed her eyes as the truck bumped it's way down the road, not bothering to engage in the conversation with her friends.

As her mind drifted, it came to a rest on her family. A serial killer for a father and a mother and sister who sat by and did nothing about her abduction. To make matters even worse, Alice Cooper had sent her to the Sisters earlier that year and she had to suffer a different kind of abuse there. She wasn't sure when Alice had grown into this heartless monster but unless she started cleaning up her act and fast, Betty wasn't too sure she wanted her to be in her life anymore. The same could be said about Polly.

Just then, Jughead cleared his throat and she blinked her eyes open, looking around.

"We're here, baby," he murmured, and she nodded, staring up at the neon sign that lit up the parking lot that was Pop's. They got out of the car, with Jughead wrapping an arm around Betty's waist to help ensure she didn't trip or stumble and hurt her body even more. She was grateful.

XXX

As they group of four sat and ate their way through dinner, chatting lightly, Betty tried not to think about the impending trial that was surely going to cause her many sleepless nights. The fact that Evernever had hired one of the best defense attorney's in the state did nothing to help ease her nerves; she knew they were going to come after her hard.

"Where'd you go baby?" Jughead asked softly, bringing her out of her thoughts. She sighed, running her cast-free hand through her waves.

"I'm just thinking about the trial," she muttered.

"B, certainly that can wait til it gets here?" Veronica murmured gently, but Betty shook her head.

"Evernever is going to be on his A game. He's a classic manipulator. He'll have his defense attorney wrapped around his finger with his smile and a few charming words, the way he did with Alice and Polly," she muttered, sighing.

Jughead wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "He's not going to get away with anything. We won't allow it. I will not allow it."

Betty searched her boyfriend's eyes, taking in the burning honesty behind them, before leaning in and brushing her lips across his. She felt her body start to relax on it's own for the first time since the attack and she melted against him, fisting his shirt in her hand. She wasn't sure when the tears came. One moment, her eyes were dry and lip wasn't quivering; the next, she was gasping for air against her boyfriend's chest.

"Hey, baby, just take a breath," Jughead murmured, one hand rubbing soothingly up and down her spine, the other tangling in her hair.

"I-I can't," Betty said, swallowing against the pain that had lodged itself in her chest. She knew Evernever was a despicable man; knew that Evelyn had been raised to be as deranged as him. What she couldn't understand, however, was her own family.

"How could Alice do that?" Betty gasped. "How could she just turn her back on me?"

"Alice Cooper is someone who doesn't deserve to have you as a daughter, B," Veronica said gently. She stood up from the side of the booth her and Archie were on and made her way to the other side. She sat down next to Betty and hugged her tightly from behind, going as far as to wrapping her arms around Jughead so Betty was sure to be cocooned between the two of them.

As Betty cried, she anchored herself to her boyfriend and friends, letting them light up every dark place inside of her. The farm had tempted her in it's tantalizing way to engage in her dark side. She wanted to get revenge by going full dark, no stars against the Evernever's; against her family, too. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to keep a lid on that side of her.

When her tears ran dry, she pulled away from her boyfriend, who kissed her forehead gently.

"You're beautiful when you cry, you know that?" Jughead whispered, and she sniffed.

"Stop," she murmured, blush kissing her cheeks.

"Hmm…nope," Jughead grinned. Betty rolled her eyes fondly before looking at Veronica.

"Thanks for being here, V," she murmured, before turning her eyes to Archie, her brother in more than blood. "You too, Arch."

"Anything for you, Betty," Archie replied earnestly. Veronica got out of their side of the booth and made her way back to her boyfriend, sitting down next to him and intertwining her fingers with his.

"Let's give them a fucking fight," Veronica said, eyes flashing dangerously.

A fucking fight indeed.


	8. Chapter 8

After they finished their meal at Pop's, Jughead called his dad, who came back and picked them up. Veronica originally offered for her mom to pick them up but knowing what he knew about Hermione, Jughead politely declined the offer. He still wasn't sure how he felt about his girlfriend spending time with a woman who was going to throw his dad under the bus without so much as a blinking; but, he supposed, it was better than the alternative of Betty having to go back home to her own horrible family.

Once they reached Veronica's, Jughead got out of his dad's pickup and followed the rest of the group to the front of the building. He pulled Betty to the side so no one else could hear what he was about to say.

"Betty," he began, watching the way she was looking at him expectantly. "If you need me for anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call tonight, alright baby?"

Betty smiled softly and he felt it soothe the ache in his heart. "I will, Juggie."

He placed his lips against her forehead gently and held them there for an immeasurable amount of time before pulling back slowly.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And, I love you," she mouthed, eyes twinkling. He was relieved to see that the look of fear and pain he saw at Pop's had dissipated. Just then, Veronica called over to them.

"C'mon, B, let's go get you set up in my room," their raven-haired friend said, and Betty nodded. Jughead squeezed her hand gently.

"Call me, alright?" Jughead whispered, and Betty cupped his cheek – he leaned into the warmth her hand provided.

"I will, Jug," she assured him, and he nodded, kissing her palm before pulling away from her. He knew if he didn't get in FP's truck now, he never would. After getting into his dad's truck, he could feel his eyes on him.

"You alright, son?" FP asked quietly, and Jughead nodded.

"Fine," he muttered, watching as Betty and Veronica disappeared into the building. When Archie got into the truck, FP drove off.

XXX

After FP had convinced Archie it wouldn't be a bother if he stayed with them indefinitely instead of going back to an empty house, Archie and Jughead climbed the stairs of the Cooper household. It had felt surreal to Jughead when Gladys had bought the house, but now? Now it felt even more surreal to know he wouldn't see Betty back in her childhood room. Sighing, he looked at Archie.

"How're you doing?" Jughead asked, and Archie exhaled a sigh, rubbing a hand across his face.

"Honestly? Not great. I mean…I just lost my dad and now Betty has to deal with this? It's…too much," he began haltingly, and Jughead nodded his head.

"I know what you mean," he muttered, not sure what else he could say to ease the pain his friend seemed to be in.

They fell silent then, each thinking about things that caused pain. It was the sound of Archie's phone pinging that broke them out of their reveries.

"It's Veronica," he said, brow furrowed as he read the text. "We need to get to them."

That was all it took for Jughead to be moving down the stairs and grabbing his dad's keys.

XXX

By the time they pulled up to the building they had left a couple of hours prior, Jughead's stomach was in knots. What was wrong? Was it Betty? Shutting off the car, he looked at Archie.

"You've been here more times than I have; is it easy to get in?" Jughead asked, and Archie shook his head.

"There's always a doorman who won't let anyone up unless specifically instructed to," he replied. "Hold on, I'll text Ronnie and let her know we're outside." Just then, his phone went off.

"Scratch that, she beat me to it. She says to come on up," he added, and Jughead was out of the truck and hurriedly making his way towards the building.

By the time they made it to Veronica's apartment, Hermione had the door open and a grim expression.

"They're in Ronnie's room," was all she said, and Jughead nodded, following Archie to where the other girl slept. Once inside the room, Jughead took in the atmosphere, noting immediately how tense it was.  
Betty was sitting, almost catatonically, on the floor, staring off into space. Veronica, who had been down on her knees and grasping her friend's hand lightly, looked up at the sound of their footsteps.

"Thank God," she murmured. "I can't get her to respond to me."

"What happened?" Archie asked.

"She was fine up until I went to go take a shower," Veronica started, but Jughead interrupted her.

"You left her alone, Veronica?" Jughead demanded, easing down onto his knees and taking his girlfriend's hand into his gently, so as to not startle her. "Betty? Baby, look at me."

When Betty didn't respond, Jughead tried not to freak out – the last thing they needed was for him to kick up a panic storm. He tucked Betty's hair behind her ear gently, running his hand from the side of her neck to down her shoulder and arm. "Baby, it's okay. Just come back to me."

Betty slowly started blinking her eyes and Jughead felt himself waiting on pins and needles. At last, at long last, Betty turned her round eyes onto him. "Juggie?"

"I'm right here, baby, right here," he murmured.

"Jug, I don't want to go back to the farm. Please don't make me," she said shakily, and Jughead gulped.

"Betty, love, no one is going to ever send you back there, I swear it," he vowed firmly.

"Bad people. Bad, bad people," Betty muttered, pulling her hand out of her boyfriend's grasp and wrapping her thin arms around her legs. Jughead cradled Betty's face in his hands, murmuring gently into her ear.

"You're safe, sweetheart, you're safe," he whispered this mantra over and over, hoping to provide his words as an anchor of sorts. Betty nodded, breathing in and out slowly. Just then, Hermione appeared in the doorway.

"It goes against my better judgement, Jughead, but if it's alright with FP, you can stay here tonight. Betty needs you," the older woman said wisely.

"Thanks, mom," Veronica murmured, and Jughead nodded.

"Thanks, Ms. Lodge," he said, not really caring if his dad did approve or not. His girl needed him; he wouldn't be anywhere else.

"B, are you ready for bed?" Veronica asked quietly, and the blonde nodded.

Activity picked up then. Veronica made a pallet on the floor for Archie and Jughead, while Betty got in her king-sized bed. After the lights had been turned off, Betty gasped.

"What is it, Betts?" Jughead asked softly.

"Could…could we maybe leave the door cracked or something?" Betty whispered, and Jughead's heart bled at the vulnerability he heard in his girlfriend's voice. He nodded without hesitation.

"Of course, baby," he murmured, and went to go crack the door open so light was filtering through. "Better?"

"Yes," she sighed in relief.

"Get some sleep, B," Ronnie said, and Jughead kissed his girlfriend's forehead before going back to the floor and falling into a light sleep.

XXX

It was about an hour later that the screaming started. Jughead jolted awake to find Veronica standing by the side of her bed as Betty thrashed around.

"Please, stop! Just stop!" Betty wailed, arm swinging outwards. Jughead hurried to his feet and rushed to Betty, catching her arm mid-swing and gently lowering it back to her side. She kicked her legs out, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Betty, baby, it's alright!" Jughead exclaimed, getting on the bed and placing his knees on either side of her hips. He cradled her face in his hand. "Wake up, sweetheart."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! JUST STOP!" Betty screamed, and Jughead exchanged a panicked look with Veronica. Just then, Archie looked at Jughead.

"Let me try, man," he said quietly, and Jughead nodded. He'd do anything to not hear Betty's pained screams emanating from her. He didn't move from his position but he gave access to Archie so he could have room to work. Archie crouched down on his knees and ran his hand soothingly through his best friend's hair.

"Betty, honey, it's alright. You're safe. You're with us. We need you to wake up," he murmured quietly, voice as soft as a gentle rainstorm.

The reaction was instantaneous and Jughead breathed a sigh of relief. Betty had stopped thrashing around and her cries turned into quiet mumbles, before she woke up altogether.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay, baby," Jughead murmured. "It's okay."

"You're okay," Archie emphasized his point by squeezing her shoulder. "You're safe. Edgar can't hurt you anymore."

Betty nodded, seemingly relaxing.

"Sorry I kicked you out of the bed, Ronnie," she mumbled sheepishly, but Veronica waved her off.

"Girl, it's okay," she assured softly, giving her friend a gentle smile.

Just then, Hermione came into the room with tea.

"Here, Betty, darling, drink this. It'll help," the older woman said with a smile.

Betty accepted the tea wordlessly and began to sip at it. Hermione looked at Jughead.

"I put something in there that'll help her calm down and sleep. I take it when I can't sleep so it's completely safe," she assured him, and Jughead nodded gratefully.

It wasn't too long before Betty was falling back asleep. Wishes to be on the floor were ignored as all three of the other members of their group climbed into the bed and laid next to Betty. Jughead held her from behind; Veronica was on her other side; and Archie was at the foot of the bed. It was the four of them, just like it would always be.

Author's note: Betty Cooper needs a hug. (Side note: if and when I start using other ideas people have given me, I will always credit them, don't worry about that! I would hate for someone to steal my ideas, so I don't steal theirs'. And, this work is an ongoing process between Kitten9322 and Boris Yeltsin. I have only added ideas from Kitten9322 so far but have others I'm contemplating adding and credit will definitely be given! Xxx)


	9. Chapter 9

Betty slept through the rest of the night without any nightmares and Jughead was eternally grateful. He ran his hand across her shoulder blade in comforting strokes as the sunlight filtered into Veronica's room. Just then, Betty scrunched up her nose adorably, a tell tale sign she was waking up.

"Come on baby, let me see those pretty eyes," Jughead murmured, his own eyes on hers'. At last, Betty opened her eyes and smiled at Jughead.

"Morning," she whispered, and he leaned forward, kissing her lips. He couldn't find it in himself to care about the fact that the two of them most likely, (definitely), had morning breath. He brushed his lips across hers' once, twice, three times before placing them on her forehead.

"How'd you sleep?" Jughead asked softly.

"Hmm, good. The tea really helped," Betty replied back equally as soft.

Just then, Archie and Veronica started waking up. Veronica was making small grumbling noises and Jughead and Betty looked at each other, laughing silently at the sounds emanating from their raven-haired friend.

"Babe, you're making those noises again," Archie's sleep-filled voice mumbled, and Jughead quirked an eyebrow.

"You've heard these before?" Jughead inquired, and Archie laughed.

"Just about every time we've been together," he replied.

"Gross," Betty laughed, and it was music to Jughead's ears. Betty sat up then, stretching, and Jughead followed suit.

"What are we going to do today, then?" Betty asked.

"I was wondering how you felt about meeting up with the Serpents?" Jughead replied, eyes on his girlfriend. She nodded happily.

"Of course," she murmured. "They did help with bringing an end to the cult, after all."

After looking at Ronnie and Archie, the decision to meet with the Serpents was unanimous and the group began to get ready. True, Archie and Jughead didn't have much to do besides make sure they put deodorant on since they were just going in the clothes they slept in. Once Veronica and Betty were ready, the two couples all piled into FP's truck after a quick goodbye to Hermione. They were on their way moments later.

XXX

When they arrived at Sweetwater, the majority of the Serpents who had helped bring the cult down were already there, having got Jughead's text. A quick look even told him Toni was there, despite Cheryl not being with her. He felt relieved about that. Getting out of the truck, Jughead intertwined his fingers with Betty's and gently led her to where the Serpents were waiting for them. Stopping in front of them, Jughead looked at Betty, who was surveying them.

"I just want to say," she began in a soft but firm voice. "Thank you to everyone who went out of their way to shut down the farm and make sure I got out of there alive. It means the world to me that you guys cared enough to do that."

"Of course, Betty," Fangs replied, dipping his head in his direction. "You're our Queen; we'd do anything for you."

Jughead watched as a smile broke across Betty's face and was proud of her. The smile didn't look wobbly, an indication that she was going to cry. Jughead always did marvel at his girlfriend's strength.

"What is it you're exactly wanting?" Toni piped up, eyes on Betty and Jughead.

"Evernever's trial is coming up in a few weeks. It's going to be grueling and we need to rally around Betty so she knows she has every Serpent's support and solidarity," Jughead replied, and Toni nodded.

"Cheryl already said she'd be there," Toni informed them, and Jughead bit back a sigh.

"Toni…," he began, but Betty squeezed his hand gently with her good one and he looked at her.

"Juggie, it's alright," she murmured, before looking at Toni.

"I know that you're in a tough position, T," Betty said. "I'm not going to make you choose between us and Cheryl. Not anymore. If she can promise to not jump ship and defend Edgar, she's welcome at the trial."

"Betty, Cheryl would never do that to you," Toni emphasized.

Betty looked at her skeptically.

"Well," Toni hastened to add. "She wouldn't do it again. She learned her lesson and feels awful. All she wants is a chance to make things right, truly."

Jughead watched as Betty surveyed Toni, taking in her expression carefully.

"Alright," Betty said quietly. "I'll meet up with her."

"Thanks, girl," Toni replied softly, relief coloring her tone.

"Going forward," Jughead said, looking back to Fangs and Pea. "We need to know how bad the defense attorney is going to be."

"Who is it?" Pea asked.

"Some woman named Claire Matthews," Jughead replied. "My dad told me about her last night and apparently she's tough as shit and will come down hard on Betts in order to get Evernever away from having the book thrown at him."

"Fuck that," Pea snapped. "This man deserves to rot behind bars for the rest of his life."

Jughead nodded firmly. "Exactly. That's why we need to do as much damage control as we can and assess the situation."

"What about Alice and Polly? Will they have to be on the stand, too?" Fangs asked.

It was Betty who spoke up this time. "I'll have to be pitted against Alice in the courtroom. We're not sure about Polly, yet."

"But, until we're sure, we're preparing for every scenario," Jughead added.

"Every scenario," Veronica emphasized.

"So," Archie began, looking at all the Serpents in turn. "Can we count on you guys to help us out?"

In a surprising move, Sweet Pea walked over to Betty and hugged her tightly. Jughead was floored to witness such an emotional move from the usually stoic man. When they pulled apart, Pea looked at Archie.

"Hell yes," he said emphatically.

Jughead shared a look with Archie over the top of Betty's head and both guys shared a grim smile of satisfaction.

"Excellent," Archie replied, tone pleased.

Come hell or high water, Jughead thought, things were about to get rocky and the pot was about to get stirred. All they needed to focus on was prepping Betty for court well enough to make sure Evernever didn't see the light of day again. The rest would come naturally.

Author's note: Enjoy. Also, in this story Fangs never joined the cult. Xxx (Side note: if you have ideas, feel free to message me!)


	10. Chapter 10

Jughead focused on rubbing soothing circles into Betty's knee as the couple sat in a booth at Pop's. Across from them was Cheryl. She had said that Toni originally wanted to go with her but Cheryl had declined, saying this was something she needed to do on her own to ease her conscience. Jughead wasn't sure if there was anything she could say that would absolve her guilt but he and Betty had to let her try.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet with me, Betty. Jughead." Cheryl spoke quietly, eyes downcast and hands clasped primly in front of her.

"It was Betty's idea," Jughead replied bluntly because he wasn't here to make niceties with her.

Cheryl nodded quickly; eyes averted. "I know."

Jughead felt Betty squeeze his hand that was resting on her knee and looked at her.

"It's alright, Jug," she murmured, before turning to Cheryl.

"Toni said you wanted a chance to apologize; to explain yourself?" Betty asked, and Cheryl nodded quickly. "Well, here's your window of opportunity; don't fuck it up."

Cheryl inhaled shakily, aiming for a smile but producing more of a grimace. "B-Betty, I'm deeply, truly sorry about my involvement with the farm. Had I not been so enamored with what I believed was JJ, I could've stopped any of this from happening. You have to believe me, please. I never wanted anything bad to happen to you. You're my family. I'll do anything to make things right."

Jughead could hear the vulnerability in Cheryl's tone and knew the vivacious redhead meant every word. It wasn't often that she opened herself up to anyone other than Toni. Staring at her for a moment, Jughead turned to look at Betty, who was studying her cousin intensely. At long last, she spoke.

"It's okay, Cheryl," she murmured. "I forgive you."

"We forgive you," Jughead emphasized because if Betty was going all the way in then so was he. They were partners

The instantaneous look of relief that broke across Cheryl's face was breathtakingly painful. Jughead hadn't believe she was truly remorseful up until that moment and was silently chastising himself on being so hard on her.

"Thank you, I don't deserve it, but thank you," Cheryl said softly.

Betty leaned across the tabled and squeezed her cousin's hand. "Of course, Cher. Now, I need to know if you're with us on bringing down Evernever?"

Cheryl's nostrils flared as her eyes narrowed into slits. "I'll do whatever it takes to get that piece of vermin behind bars. Whatever it takes."

Jughead nodded once, pleased with her answer.

"Good, Cheryl, because as one of Evernever's main recruits, we definitely need your knowledge about the farm and how he possessed all of his followers into believing in him in order for us to help build a solid foundation against his defense attorney," Jughead explained.

"Toni was telling me about her. Claire something?" Cheryl asked, eyes flickering back and forth between Jughead and Betty.

"Matthews," Betty supplied with a grimace. Cheryl gasped.

"That bitch!"

"You know her?" Jughead quirked an eyebrow, surprised by this revelation; Cheryl nodded.

"She was going to be the lawyer on Daddy's case had he not killed himself, but obviously that didn't happen. Good riddance, too," she added bitterly. Jughead shared a look with Betty who looked as nonplussed as he felt.

"Claire Matthews was going to be your dad's lawyer; does she just have no heart?" Betty spat.

Jughead scoffed. "She's the woman defending Evernever and trying to bring you down all in one swoop; doesn't seem like she does, sweetheart."

Betty just sighed and rubbed a weary hand over her face, eyes clouding with disappointment. Jughead massaged her shoulder gently.

"What are you thinking, baby?" Jughead murmured.

"Is there any decency left in the world?" Betty muttered. Jughead hurried to assure her there was but Cheryl beat him to it.

"Don't do that, cousin Betty," she said quietly but with conviction. "Don't give up on the goodness in the world because you've been dealt some shitty cards. If you want to see goodness, take a long look in the mirror. You just forgave me when you absolutely did not have to; I didn't deserve it. But, you did so because that's who you are as a person. Don't let Evernever turn your heart cold. Please."

Jughead stared at Cheryl in something close to admiration. It was the first time in a long time (since she had apologized to him for slapping him), that she seemed to resemble a decent human being. He was starting to see maybe what Toni saw.

"Thanks, Cheryl," Betty said quietly, blinking her eyelids rapidly. Jughead squeezed her hand.

"Means a lot coming from you," he added, dipping his head at the vivacious redhead. Cheryl smiled softly.

"I'm only doing and saying what's right. What I should have done a long time ago," she murmured.

Betty inhaled. "Cheryl…what can you tell us about seeing Jason?"

At this, Cheryl's smile slipped a little as she got a faraway in her eyes. "I don't know how Evernever hoodwinked me into believing that I was talking to JJ but thanks to Toni showing me the video of Clifford killing him a few times, I now realize it was just a delusion."

Betty sighed.

"I'm sorry, Cheryl, truly," she murmured. "I know how much it meant to you to hold onto the hope that Jason was still alive."

"Toni's helping me come to terms with the loss this time. I'm not alone," Cheryl stated matter-of-fact.

Jughead had to admit even he could see how it was like losing her brother for a second time. To be brainwashed into thinking you were talking to your dead brother only to find out that that wasn't the case in the slightest…it was hard. Jughead had to give Toni credit for helping Cheryl through her difficult time. And he had to give Cheryl credit for owning up to her mistakes.

"Cheryl, thank you. For apologizing," Jughead said; Betty nodded.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity," Cheryl replied softly. "Just so you know, Kev wants his chance, too."

Jughead looked at Betty, who looked exhausted but determined, and nodded his head.

"That's fair. But tomorrow, after we've gotten some sleep," Jughead conditioned.

Nothing more was said but Jughead, for the first time, felt hopeful about the fissures in Betty's heart starting to heal.

Author's: Enjoy! Comments appreciated!


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: Spoilers from last night's episode! Read with caution if you have yet to see it.

The next day, after they had both gotten some rest, Jughead and Betty had agreed to meet up with Kevin. If Jughead was going to be honest with himself, he was only doing this because he was letting Betty take the lead. He didn't particularly have it in him to care about forgiving Kevin for his part in the cult. He knew he should want to; knew that Kevin wasn't a bad guy at heart. However, the fact that he blamed his behavior on missing Moose was enough to leave a storm brewing in a seething Jughead.

Just then, Jughead felt soft fingers tapping on his clenched fist lightly and looked down, then up to where Betty was staring at him.

"Babe, you're so tense," she murmured, running a comforting thumb against the back of his palm. He sighed.

"I'll just be happy when this meeting is over," he admitted, flipping his palm open so he could grasp her hand in his. She nodded.

"Me too," she muttered.

Jughead could hear the burning honesty in her tone and behind her words; he knew she was as anxious as he was to get this part of the day over with. Squeezing her hand gently, he nodded.

"It'll be over soon," he murmured. A soft, ironic smile lifted Betty's lips.

"What?" Jughead asked, and she sighed.

"That's what Edgar kept saying to me every time I asked him to stop. Funnily enough, it never was close to being over," she said quietly, eyes staring unseeingly at her coffee cup.

"Betts, look at me," Jughead implored, and when she didn't, he lifted her chin up gently in order to make eye contact. "What Edgar did to you? What you were subjected to? No one should ever have to go through that. Especially not as someone as good and wholesome as you."

"Am I, though?" Betty whispered. "Good and wholesome, I mean."

"Yes," Jughead said simply, tone booking no room for discussion.

Betty's eyes flickered all across his face, drinking in every detail of his expression, before eventually nodding.

"I love you, Jughead," she said softly, resting her head on his shoulder. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head as the door to the diner opened. Looking up, he spotted Kevin looking around the diner before his eyes landed on the couple. Inhaling, Jughead beckoned him over with two quick twirls of his fingers. Once Kevin had made it to the booth, he seemed uncertain if he should sit down or not.

"We're not here to fight, Kevin," Betty said bluntly, and Jughead rubbed her knee; he knew how hard this was for her. Kevin looked at Jughead apprehensively, who appraised him in turn, before nodding.

"Let me make myself perfectly clear, Kevin, alright? One. You get one chance to make amends with Betty. If you fuck it up in the slightest, good day, game over. Do you understand me?" Jughead asked firmly.

Kevin swallowed nervously. "I understand you."

Jughead assessed him for a moment before looking at Betty, who nodded her head. She cut her eyes to the empty seat across from them, a clear indication that Kevin should sit. He did so a moment later.

"Betty," he began, nervously wringing his hands together. "I don't even know what to say."

"I do," Betty said simply. "How the hell could you do that to me?"

Kevin sighed. "I know it doesn't amount to much, if anything, but I am sorry. I'm truly disgusted with falling for the Evernever's traps."

"Father and daughter duo of the year, right?" Jughead muttered.

"Actually," Kevin began, pulling at his shirt uncomfortably. "They're husband and wife, not father and daughter. She's 26, not 16."

Jughead felt like a bomb had exploded and judging by the look on his girlfriend's face, so did she.

"How the hell was Alice okay with all of that? How was she okay with letting Dagwood and Juniper be raised in that cult?" Jughead demanded angrily. He felt Betty slip her fingers of her non-damaged hand through his and stroked them gently; she was always tethering herself to him.

"Edgar had us all convinced he was this saint," Kevin murmured.

"Don't kid yourself, Kev, Alice knew exactly the kind of people she was surrounding herself with," Betty muttered dryly. "What I don't get it why you stayed. Didn't you find it odd that Evelyn was posing as a high schooler all this time and she had lied to all of you?"

Kevin sighed. "It's just…with Moose gone, I needed someone."

"Oh, for the love of my fucking sanity, don't give me that shit," Jughead snapped, irritated with the guy in front of him. "Look around dude, who had people. Betty, Arch, and me! Hell, even Pea would have been there for you because he too was friends with Joaquin. You fucked up. Man up and admit it."

Kevin nodded, biting his lip as he looked at Betty.

"I really am sorry, Betty," he said quietly, and Betty hesitantly reached a hand out to him.

"I forgive you, Kev," she murmured, and he looked up at her, eyes wide and hopeful.

"Yeah?" Kevin whispered.

"Yes," she replied firmly. "But, it's going to take some time to get the trust back all the way. On some level, it was easier with Cheryl because her and I haven't been close for that long. You? You and I go way back. I just need some time."

"Time is great," Kevin nodded his head quickly. "I can do time."

Betty laughed, and Jughead squeezed her hand. Just then, Betty's phone went off and she pulled it out, scanning the text quickly before going white.

"Betts?" Jughead asked in alarm.

"Th-that was Cheryl. It's Toni. She's been shot," Betty whispered.

That was all it took to have Jughead, therefore Betty and Kevin, sprinting out of the diner and to Kevin's car as they awaited anymore news on their friend.

Author's note: It was Boris Yeltsin's idea to have Toni shot so shout out, friend! Also, I didn't incorporate every part of last night's episode. Like Toni for example. I was so mad at her.

Anyways, enjoy! Feedback lovely! Will get to comments tomorrow! Xxx


	12. Chapter 12

By the time the three of them made it to the hospital, Cheryl was an absolute mess.

"Cheryl?" Betty asked gently, approaching her with caution. Jughead watched with bated breath as the redhead looked up at Betty, eyes hollow.

"They shot her," she whispered, fear etched across her face.

"Who did?" Jughead demanded, fists clenched. Even though they hadn't been seeing eye to eye lately, Toni was like another sister to him. The fact that she too was caught up in this mess left him gasping for air.

"Workers for the farm," Cheryl said.

"Do you know their names, honey?" Betty asked quietly, stroking Cheryl's shoulder with her good hand. Cheryl just shook her head.

"No," she said dully. "Evernever didn't want us to know everyone's names on the farm."

"Because of course he didn't," Jughead spat bitterly. Running a hand through his messy locks, he attempted to control his temper. Now was definitely not the time to lose his cool.

"What do we know in regard to Toni's condition?" Kevin asked softly. Tears filled Cheryl's eyes and spilled over.

"She's in surgery," she whispered. "The bullet pierced her kidney."

Jughead's eyes closed of their own volition.

"Dammit," he muttered, rubbing a hand across his face.

Just then, a doctor walked out.

"Toni Topaz?" She asked.

"Yes," Betty, Cheryl, and Jughead replied.

"She's very lucky. Had the bullet pierced her even a millimeter to the left, she would have had an unusable kidney. But, with some rest, she'll have it working properly in no time," she said, smiling at them.

Betty squeezed Cheryl's shoulder as she exhaled shakily.

"Can we see her?" Cheryl asked quietly, and the doctor nodded.

"Yes but be aware that she's not very lucid and may drift in and out of consciousness for the remainder of the day," the doctor replied. Jughead thanked her and they were soon on their way to the recovery room she had been taken to. As soon as they opened her door, Cheryl made her way to Toni, who was watching them through heavily lidded eyes.

"What were you thinking, babe?" Cheryl whispered, bending down to hug her girlfriend gently. Jughead felt like he was intruding on a private moment so cast his eyes on the wall opposite him to give the two women a modicum of privacy.

"I was thinking my ass looked better in a hospital bed than yours' did," Toni rasped out and Cheryl automatically gave her some water to drink.

"What?" Betty asked as she and Jughead shared a concerned look.

"They were aiming for me when my idiotic girlfriend had the brilliant idea to push me out of the way," Cheryl said, brushing Toni's hair back behind her ear.

"I made a promise to you when we got you out of Quiet Mercy: I would never let anything bad happen to you ever again," Toni said quietly, eyes drooping closed. Jughead stared at his friend, realizing, yet again, he may have been too quick in his judgements of her and Cheryl.

"T, I know you're tired, but this is important: do you think if my dad gets a sketch artist in here, you'd be able to describe the guy who shot you?" Jughead asked.

Toni nodded. "Definitely, Jug." Her eyes slipped completely closed then, and Jughead kissed her softly on the forehead before looking at his girlfriend and Kevin.

"We should let Cheryl take care of her. We can come back tomorrow but right now Betty needs to rest, too," he said, tone booking no room for argument.

"I won't say no to some sleep," Betty agreed, stifling a yawn behind her cast.

Kevin hugged Cheryl, murmuring that everything would be alright, and then Betty was offering her own hug. When she pulled back, Cheryl smiled at her.

"Thank you again, Betty. I didn't deserve your forgiveness but you gave it, unconditionally. So thank you," she murmured.

"Get some sleep, Cheryl," Betty replied gently. Then, it was Jughead's turn. He stared at Cheryl for a moment, before smiling slightly.

"Take care of her, alright?" Jughead requested quietly. Cheryl nodded.

"Without a doubt," she replied with conviction.

Jughead and the rest of the group left Cheryl and Toni to themselves for the rest of the night. After being dropped back off at Pop's, Kevin got into his car and drove off. Betty looked at Jughead as he traced the outline of her jaw with the pad of his thumb.

"What are you thinking, sweetheart?" Jughead asked.

A mischievous glint took over her eyes. "I was thinking how lovely it'd be to have another night with you."

"Me, at the Lodges'?" Jughead asked with a smirk, and Betty laughed softly.

"I was thinking more along the lines of me, at your place?" Betty asked hopefully, and Jughead grinned.

"Why, what are you insinuating, Betty Cooper?" Jughead asked mockingly.

"Oh, I think you know what I'm insinuating, Juggie," Betty replied, quirking an eyebrow and cocking a hip against the tail bed of his dad's pickup truck.

"Pop's and movies?" Jughead asked.

"Pop's and movies," Betty confirmed with a smile.

XXX

When they were settled at her old house, Jughead purposefully kept her away from her childhood bedroom, which, coincidentally, meant she didn't have to see Alice or Polly's rooms, either.

"We can sleep in my room, Jug, it's okay," Betty assured him softly, but he just smiled, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Downstairs works just as well. And I'm sure Jellybean would love to see you," he replied, and a soft smile lit up her face.

"How's she doing? Since the Gargoyle King took her? And Gladys left," Betty asked, looking at him.

Jughead sighed. "Honestly? Some days she's fine. Doesn't seem to mind that she was used as a pawn in my mother's game. Others? Others she locks herself away and won't talk to dad or myself. I don't know how to get through to her."

Betty brushed her fingertips against his face and he leaned into the touch, sighing contentedly.

"How about I talk to her?" Betty offered. "Provide her with some girl time?"

Jughead looked at Betty. "You don't have to do that, baby."

"I know but I want to," she said quietly, smiling softly.

Jughead leaned in and kissed her gently, lips barely there against hers'.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And, I love you," she breathed. He touched his lips to her forehead and for the first time in what seemed like too long, he felt like he could breathe.

Author's note: So, I've been disgustingly sick all week. Hence slow updates. I'm trying to update as regularly as I can while still listening to the needs of my body and resting when it tells me to. So bear with me! I have some prompts for the Joneses family series that I have to get to and would honestly love some more. So, if you have any, drop a comment! Enjoy and reviews are lovely as always! Xxx


	13. Chapter 13

Betty's P.O.V.

The next morning Betty and Jughead woke up early enough to smell coffee filtering through the kitchen and into the living room. Upon closer inspection, Betty heard soft voices talking. She kissed Jughead's throat, who sighed appreciatively, before hoisting herself off the couch and into the kitchen where FP and Jellybean were.

"Morning, Betty," FP greeted her with a soft smile, one that she returned.

As she poured her coffee, she looked back at him. "Morning FP, JB."

"I swear, you're the only person who calls me by my desired name," Jellybean sighed, and Betty laughed.

"You call me by mine," she replied simply, before going to make her way to the kitchen table and sitting down. She spotted Jellybean's own cup of coffee sitting next to her but didn't say anything – Betty had started drinking the stuff by the time she was thirteen. After taking a sip, she looked at FP.

"How have you been?" Betty asked.

"Good, thankfully," he replied quietly. She knew he was thinking about Gladys and the destruction she had brought onto the town but didn't want to voice it in front of his daughter.

Just then, Jughead came into the kitchen, pulling his beanie atop his tousled hair.

"That's some awesome bedhead you have going on, big brother," Jellybean laughed, and Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, Jellybean," he grumbled, and she huffed. Figuring it was best to prevent a small disagreement upon what to call her from breaking out, Betty decided to intervene.

"JB? I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day with me today?" Betty asked, and Jellybean looked at her.

"Like…a girl's day?" Jellybean demanded with wide eyes.

Betty laughed. "Try not to look so alarmed."

"We don't have to, like, get our nails done or anything, do we?" Jellybean asked in horror, and Betty quickly shook her head.

"God, no. That's what V would want to do. Today, I was just thinking we could go to Pop's, maybe look through the book store, things like that," she replied.

Jellybean took a sip of her coffee.

"And, if I hate it?" Jellybean challenged.

"Jellybean, where are your manners?" FP scolded, but Betty smiled.

"If you hate it, we can come back here and you can go back to wallowing like you have been," she promised, knowing she was going to get the younger girl to admit it.

"I have not been wallowing," Jellybean stressed. The other three simply looked at her, eyebrows quirked. "Fine. I've been wallowing."

Betty laughed. "So, what do you say? How about we get out of the house for a bit today?"

Jellybean looked at Betty, then Jughead who was nodding encouragingly.

"Might be good for you, Jelly," he said softly, and she bit her lip.

"Alright," she agreed finally. "But if I don't like it -,"

"We can come straight home," Betty cut in, promising her that to help with her worries.

Jellybean seemed appeased and nodded her head. "Alright, I'll go get ready."

With that, she left the table and made her way upstairs. FP waited until they heard her door shut before he looked at Betty.

"Thanks, Betty. You have no idea how much this means to me. To get her out of her room for the day," he said, and Betty smiled gently.

"Of course, FP. She's family," she replied.

"Thanks," the older man said gruffly, before taking another sip of his coffee and walking out of the kitchen.

"I think you broke him," Jughead laughed, and Betty rolled her eyes.

XXX

By the time Betty and Jellybean had gotten to Pop's, it was time for lunch. After ordering burgers and fries to share, Betty took a sip of her vanilla shake as Jellybean studied her.

"What?" Betty asked curiously, wondering what the young girl was thinking about.

"I never got to say how screwed up it was that the farm did that to you," Jellybean said. "That your own mother did that to you."

Feeling like she knew where these emotions were stemming from, Betty took another sip of her shake before replying.

"Sometimes we don't get to choose the family we're born into, you know?" Betty asked, and Jellybean nodded.

"Isn't that the truth," she muttered.

Betty frowned. "You know that's not exactly what I meant, right? Your dad and brother love you."

Before she could respond, their food was brought, and Betty smiled up at Pop.

"Thanks, Pop," she murmured, and he nodded, smiling kindly at her before turning to Jellybean.

"How's FP?" Pop Tate asked, concern lacing his tone.

"Bullet wound was superficial; you didn't do any damage," she assured him, and Pop exhaled a sigh of relief.

"I just wish he felt like he could have come to me for help," Pop said.

"Yeah, don't we all," Jellybean muttered, before smiling again at Pop. "Thanks for the food, Pop."

"You're welcome, Jellybean," he replied, smiling kindly down at her, then Betty. He walked away a moment later, leaving the two girls to themselves.

"So, you were saying?" Jellybean asked, taking a bite of her burger.

"I was saying FP and Jughead love you, JB. You must know that," she said softly, dunking a fry into her shake.

Jellybean sighed. "I do know that, I do. It's just…"

She trailed off.

"It's just what, JB?" Betty asked quietly, eyes on the young girl in front of her.

"It's just I miss my mom," she whispered, and Betty's heart bled for her. "She screwed my family over big time and I still miss her. How messed up is that?"

"It's not messed up, JB," Betty assured her softly. "For a long time, Gladys was all you knew. It was the two of you. Of course you miss her."

"But, she was trying to ruin the town and my dad and Jughead had to pay for her sins," Jellybean sighed, rubbing a hand across her eyes.

"So did you," Betty reminded her gently, and Jellybean exhaled shakily.

"It's funny. It doesn't even feel like I was kidnapped or whatever. I mean, nothing bad happened to me. I just played a game with some dumb kid and my family were the ones who had to jump through hoops to make sure nothing happened to me. Look what it cost them," she said bitterly.

Not knowing if she meant their physical injuries or the emotional turmoil Gladys Jones put them all through, Betty thought for a moment on what words might bring comfort to the girl in front of her.

"What happened is not your fault, you know that right?" Betty settled on finally, sensing that deep down their was some underlining blame Jellybean was putting on herself.

"If I could have just stopped myself from playing the stupid game, none of this would have happened in the first place," Jellybean muttered angrily, but Betty shook her head.

"JB, you can't possibly know that. If the Gargoyle King wanted you, he wanted you for a reason. He wasn't going to give up just by you not playing the game, I can promise you that," Betty said firmly.

Jellybean studied her face and Betty left it open and honest, trying to convey the seriousness behind her words. Eventually, the other girl nodded.

"Alright," she whispered.

"Yeah?" Betty asked, and Jellybean nodded again.

"Yes," she said firmly, and Betty nodded once.

It wasn't much, but it was a small break through and that was good enough for her.

Author's note: Okay, so just a chapter between JB and Betty. Hope you enjoy. Also, quick question! I would love to write a Choni story but am lacking some ideas because I've never written for them before. Obviously, it would so not be based off this season. Thanks writers for ruining them. Anyways, if you have any ideas, shoot me a message or comment and I'll see what I can do. If I choose an idea, all credit goes to that person. I'm looking at cleaning out some of my stories and just leaving Anarchy, Down the Rabbit Hole, and this one. Those are my three mains. Reviews are lovely as always and keep me going. Xxx


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning brought the arrival of Jughead and Betty back at the hospital to visit Cheryl and Toni, with the addition of FP. Jughead was relieved to find Toni in a more lucid state than the previous night – she was at least able to keep her eyes open longer than five seconds. As they walked into the room, FP looked at Toni for a long moment.

"How did we let it all go to shit, kid?" FP wondered, and Toni smirked.

"I believe," she began hoarsely. "You and Jug are the ones who kicked Cheryl and I out of the Serpents, did you not?"

"Did you or did you not get caught stealing?" FP parroted back to her and Toni laughed.

"Fair point, FP," Toni conceded. Cheryl just sniffed, causing Jughead to roll his eyes in turn, before looking at Toni.

"So, T, up for that sketch?" Jughead asked, and Toni nodded.

"Definitely. Especially since I haven't had pain meds that knock me on my ass yet," she replied. FP pulled up one of the bedside chairs and nodded his head at the sketch artist who was waiting out in the hallway. Once she got inside, Toni began describing the shooter in as much detail as she could while Cheryl offered up words of encouragement. Jughead knew she didn't need any, though. Toni, very much like Betty, was as tough as they came.

After about forty minutes of the artist drawing, she stopped and held up the image she had produced.

"This him?" She asked, and Toni studied it before nodding.

"That's him," she growled, and Cheryl hissed underneath her breath as the artist handed the picture to Jughead's dad.

"FP, I can make copies of this and put them up all over the station and town," she said, and FP nodded.

"Thanks, Matilda," he replied, dipping his head gratefully.

Jughead watched as Matilda left the room before turning to look at his dad.

"Was it anyone you recognized?" Jughead asked, and FP shook his head.

"I didn't see that man the night my squad apprehended people at the Farm. He must have either escaped before we came or hid. Although, I'm betting the first one because we raided that damn place from top to bottom," he added.

Jughead turned and looked at Betty.

"What about you, Betts? Did you recognize him from any of your trips to the Farm this year?"

Betty shook her head. "He wasn't there any of the times I was, nor was he there when Evernever kidnapped me."

Jughead's fist clenched involuntarily as a growl built low in his throat. He still wanted to see Evernever pay for his crimes.

"And, before you ask, Jug, that was the first time Cher and I saw him, too. He was like a ghost before that," Toni said, and Jughead raised his eyebrows.

"He can't have just materialized out of thin air. He had to have been working with Evernever," Jughead said.

"We would have seen him," Toni insisted, but Cheryl shook her head.

"Not necessarily, babe. Evernever didn't let us know all the names of the members of the farm, remember? He was clearly one of those members," Cheryl said softly, and Toni sighed.

"It's just, this sucks. Betty was hurt, I got shot because the Serpents were doing recon and they were aiming for my girlfriend. I want this fucking cult brought down," Toni snapped.

Jughead bit back the retort that was itching to burst off his tongue. Now she wanted the cult brought down. After all the times Betty tried to say that it was bad. He sighed, knowing it wasn't worth a disagreement with her.

FP nodded.

"We're going to take them down," he said seriously.

"Dad," Jughead said suddenly. "Any word on the case and how trial will proceed?"

"Betty will definitely have to go up against Alice and Evernever and Alice is now being represented by Claire Matthews," FP admitted.

"How can Alice afford that?" Betty asked.

"Well, being engaged to Evernever comes with perks, apparently," FP sighed, and Jughead watched as a frown stenciled itself against Betty's lips.

"That woman is deplorable," she muttered.

"Damn right, babe," Jughead said.

"So Evernever and Alice are going to get off the hook, then?" Betty wondered, wrapping her arms around herself. Jughead hated how small and vulnerable she looked in that moment. He had always associated her with being his warrior queen; she couldn't give up on that identity now.

"Mary Andrews is in town since Fred's passing. She's taken a personal interest in the case since you've been like a daughter to her all these years, even while she was in Chicago," FP said. "She's going to be your lawyer."

A feeling of relief swept over Jughead, so strong it left him lightheaded for a moment. Claire Matthews may think she's tough as nails, but she had absolutely nothing on Mary Andrews. Mary would sweep the floor with her and Evernever would live to rue the day he ever even imagined laying a finger on Betty.

"Thanks, dad," Jughead said, and Betty nodded.

"Thanks, FP," she murmured fervently.

XXX

An hour later and Jughead found himself at Sweetwater River with Betty leaning into his embrace. She had convinced him it'd be fine to ride his motorcycle as long as he didn't take curves too fast. He didn't.

They were quiet as they watched the streaming water, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Jughead placed his lips against Betty's temple, holding them there for a moment and just reveling in the fact that she was alive and well, in his arms. There was a moment when he was truly afraid that she was going to die and he wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone, not even his worst enemy.

It was Betty's voice that brought him out of his reverie.

"Jug?'

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we can really do this?" Betty asked. "Stop Evernever once and for all?"

He nodded. "Yeah, baby, I really think we can. We've already separated him from wife number one. Without Evelyn, he's lost half of his power."

"I want to go visit her," Betty said quietly. If he would have known her less, he'd think she had made a snap decision, but he knew Betty like he knew the back of his hand. She always thought her plans through.

"When are we going?" Jughead asked, and she looked at him, searching his eyes.

"Tomorrow," she said, and he nodded.

Tomorrow it was, then.

Author's note: Enjoy! Reviews lovely. Also, started a Choni story. Not sure if it'll be any good since I write Bughead, but yeah. Cool, cool. Xxx


	15. Chapter 15

Jughead stopped his bike right outside the mental health facility that his dad had told him Evelyn had been taken to. Betty had her arms wrapped around him and he could feel her cast pressing into his back. It was a reminder of the pain she had to endure at the hands of the Evernever's. Looking at the building for a moment, he addressed his girlfriend.

"You ready for this, babe?" Jughead asked softly, and he felt Betty nod against his back.

"I'm ready," she replied firmly, and he was proud to not hear her voice wavering in the slightest. He knew she was just as pissed at Evelyn as he was. He nodded himself and indicated she should get off the bike first – she did so, and he was soon following her movements a moment later.

Jughead intertwined their fingers together as they made their way towards the building. Looking at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye, he noted that she had her mouth set in a firm line and knew she was in a serious mode. She wasn't here for any bull shit, that much was clear. Once they were inside the facility, they made their way to the front desk, looking at the receptionist.

"Name of the patient you want to visit?" He asked, and Betty cleared her throat.

"Evelyn Evernever," she said firmly, and he typed something into the computer. Jughead watched as he studied the screen for a moment, before nodding.

"She's on the third floor," came the reply. "Let me get you badges to get in."

After they had their badges, the receptionist got out from behind his computer and went to unlock the elevator.

"Third floor and you'll meet a security officer who will scan your badges and pat you down," he said, and Jughead nodded, knowing the pat down was for the safety of the patients in the facility. They made their way inside the elevator and Jughead pressed the button for the third floor. As the doors closed, he looked at Betty.

"Do you know what you're going to say to Evelyn?" Jughead asked quietly, and she nodded.

"I do," she replied, but offered no more information than that and Jughead didn't push.

Once they reached the third floor, they met with the security guard who, as promised, patted them both down. After they were deemed safe, the security officer unlocked the door leading to the third floor and Betty led the way inside. Jughead followed her to the desk at the front of the floor.

"Evelyn Evernever?" Betty asked, and the receptionist on the floor consulted her notes.

"She's in group therapy right now. It'll be over in ten minutes if you want to wait," she said, and Jughead nodded.

"We'll wait," he said.

The receptionist nodded and directed them to a little room off to the side that they could wait in. During their ten-minute wait, Jughead and Betty didn't exchange too many words. Jughead knew Betty was thinking about their confrontation with Evelyn so let her have all the time she needed. When their ten minutes were up, Jughead looked down the hallway expectantly. It wasn't too long before he saw Evelyn making her way towards them.

"I've been told you're looking for me?" Evelyn asked, and Jughead wanted to smack the stupid smirk off her face. He looked at Betty, who had narrowed her eyes into slits, and let her take the lead.

"We have, Evelyn," Betty replied. "Let's take a seat, shall we?"

"Certainly," Evelyn agreed before leading them to a couch in a sitting room of sorts. After Betty had sat down, Jughead followed suit, slinging an arm around Betty's shoulders protectively. He knew that his girl could protect herself but the thing was, she shouldn't have to. She shouldn't even have to be sitting here with the woman whose husband tortured her. Jughead would be damned if he let Betty get hurt again.

"So Betty, Jughead. I'm assuming you're here for a reason?" Evelyn asked, and Betty quirked an eyebrow, tracing her top lip with her tongue.

"We are Evelyn. Why did you pretend to be Edgar's daughter when you're his wife?" Betty asked, and Jughead watched as Evelyn's eyes went wide. Clearly, she wasn't expecting them to know that.

"Oh, yes, Evelyn, we know all about that," Jughead added. "We know how you pretended to be a sixteen-year-old to help recruit members for the Farm when in actuality you're a twenty-six-year-old woman. Our question is why?"

Evelyn laughed. "Easy. It was the only way to target the youth. By pretending to be one of you guys, we had easier access to gaining more members for the Farm."

"And, Alice was just okay with sharing Edgar with you?" Betty demanded.

"Betty, your mother understood the importance of the Farm. She understood that my husband was loyal to us without question," Evelyn replied.

"No, Evelyn," Jughead said. "Your husband was loyal to the Farm. Not you. Don't get it confused."

"I wouldn't expect you to understand my husband's loyalty, Jughead," Evelyn said simply.

"If your husband was so loyal, why did he let you come here instead of fighting to get you in a jail cell with him?" Betty asked.

"I've never once questioned the way Edgar did things. He always has a reason for every decision he makes. Always," she murmured.

"You're blinded by your so-called love for him and I feel sorry for you, Evelyn," Betty said quietly.

Evelyn glared at her with such hostility that Jughead found himself fighting the urge to throttle her.

"You don't know the first thing about love, Betty," Evelyn hissed, and Jughead wanted to laugh because what?

"Do you see Jughead, Evelyn? See that he's here with me? He was the one who orchestrated the rescue mission to get me away from your husband. He's the one who spent countless hours with me at the hospital while I recovered from the attack Edgar gave. He's the one who slept in a bed with myself and two other people, holding me all night to help keep the anxiety and nightmares at bay," Betty said. "Don't kid yourself sweetheart. I'll know more about love in my relationship with Jughead than you will in your whole life."

Evelyn folded her arms across her chest, continuously glaring at Betty.

"Something wrong, Evelyn?" Jughead smirked, knowing he was pissing her off with his unperturbed attitude.

"What did you guys come here for really?" Evelyn demanded, and Jughead looked at Betty, unsure of what exactly it was that she had hoped to gain from this meeting. Betty licked her lips.

"I need you to know that I'm taking Edgar and Alice to court and plan on making them burn for all the shit they did," she whispered. "If you weren't in here, I'd be bringing you down, too. However, I don't foresee you getting out anytime soon and think you're atoning for your sins already."

Evelyn looked at her, face impassive.

"I want you to know something Evelyn Evernever," Betty said quietly. "I'll destroy your family and the Farm without blinking and then I won't think about you guys ever again. Do you understand me?"

For once, something resembling a flash of fear filtered through Evelyn's eyes and Jughead knew she realized just how serious Betty was with her promise. He grinned.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Jughead asked lowly.

Evelyn just sat there, unmoving, and Betty turned to Jughead.

"I said what I wanted. Let's go?" Betty asked softly.

"Yeah baby, let's go," he agreed, standing up and leading her out of the ward Evelyn was in. They didn't look back once.

Author's note: enjoy! Reviews lovely! Xxx


	16. Chapter 16

Spoilers from last night.

Betty's P.O.V.

Betty knew something wasn't quite adding up with the farm; that something was amiss. During her dinner with Kevin the previous night, he had confided in her how Edgar had performed surgery on him and the other members of the farm, telling them he was cleansing them of their pain. What a pile of shit. Betty knew that with Edgar Evernever nothing was ever as easy as, "cleansing people of their pain", and she was on a mission to figure out just what the hell was going on.

After calling Cheryl, the redhead agreed immediately to scope out the farm, or what remained. Betty knew that it would have to be just the two of them. If she even contemplated telling Jughead, she knew he'd say no so fast he'd get whiplash. Forgoing telling him altogether, Betty and Cheryl climbed into Betty's car and began the drive to the remainder of the farm.

"Why do you need to do this, Betty?" Cheryl asked after about fifteen minutes of silence. Her voice was quiet and non-judgmental, that much Betty could tell. Sighing as she switched lanes effortlessly, Betty thought her words over before answering.

"Because Cheryl, Evernever performed surgery on Kevin. You may have been next. Or Toni. We need to know what kind of surgery was done," she explained, eyes on the road.

"I'd like to see Evernever try and perform surgery on Toni; they already shot her, they're not doing anything else," Cheryl spat, and Betty nodded. There was the fire she was looking for.

"Exactly, Cher. We don't know what Evernever wanted to gain through the surgeries and that's what we need to find out," Betty emphasized, and Cheryl nodded. Neither of the two said anything else for the duration of the drive. Betty assumed, like her, that Cheryl's mind was on their impending job they had to do.

Eventually, Betty pulled up to the outskirts of the farm and parked her car. It was quiet; desolate. FP hadn't been lying when he said they raided the place from top to bottom. Looking at Cheryl once more, Betty addressed her cousin.

"Are you ready for this, Cheryl?" Betty asked.

"Are you, Betty?" Cheryl replied, voice unusually gentle. Betty looked back at the farm and thought about it. Was she ready for this? To face the place she had been tortured. Not knowing if she could answer honestly, she shrugged.

"Ask me after we're done here," she replied softly before getting out of the car, Cheryl following suit. The two girls kept their eyes peeled for any suspicious activity as they made their way up to the building. Getting inside was child's play: all Betty had to do was pick the lock and they were in. Once inside, Cheryl cast her eyes on Betty.

"What exactly are we looking for, Betty?" Cheryl asked quietly.

"Anything that looks like it has to do with a surgical procedure," Betty said lowly, and Cheryl nodded. "No matter what, we stay together, understood?" Another nod and they were off, searching the many rooms that resided in the farm. Little did they know they were being watched.

XXX

"Betty, I think I found something," Cheryl's voice stopped Betty from continuing her way down the hallway. She peered over her shoulder, curious as to what had halted Cheryl's movements. Walking back to her, Betty looked at the door she was in front of.

"It's the only room in the hall that's locked," Cheryl acknowledged. That was easy enough to deal with. Betty used the same bobby pin she had used to unlock the door outside to unlock this door. After opening, they walked in, looking around.

"Is that a freezer?" Betty asked, and Cheryl nodded, her eyes on it, too.

"Let's take a closer look, shall we cousin?" Cheryl asked, and it was Betty's turn to nod. Walking towards it, Betty eased the lid of the freezer open gently, trying to make little to no noise, even though she technically knew that they were alone.

"What," Cheryl gasped, "the hell is this?"

"I-It looks like organs," Betty said, dumbstruck. She stared at all of the flasks that held vital body parts and suddenly everything fell into place. Kevin's surgery. His scar. The cleansing. Evernever was harvesting their organs at the farm. Swallowing down the bile she felt creeping up the back of her throat, she looked at Cheryl.

"We need to call FP," she said in a shaky voice.

"Sorry, but no can do, darling," a gravelly voice had Betty whipping her head around. She spotted a man standing in the room with a gun pointed directly at her and Cheryl. Not hesitating for even a millisecond, Betty pushed Cheryl behind her, protecting her with her body.

"Who the hell are you?" Cheryl snapped.

"Shh, Cher," Betty said quietly, eyes trained on the man that looked oddly familiar to her. Then the puzzle pieces slotted together. "You're the guy that shot Toni."

"I was aiming for the redhead bitch, but yeah, that's me," he said, smirking.

"What's your name?" Cheryl demanded.

"George."

"And, what do you want, George?" Betty asked as calmly as she could considering there was a gun aimed at her chest.

"What Edgar wanted. I never miss," he said simply. Then, before they could do more than furrow their brows, George shot the gun off, clipping Betty in the shoulder.

"Betty!" Cheryl screamed, but Betty shook her head.

"It's fine," she grit out. "Just a superficial shot. I thought you said you never missed?"

"I don't. That was simply a taster of what's to come," he smiled pleasantly, and Betty felt a shiver run down her spine. Here they were, alone and weaponless, with someone who very well could be as deranged as Edgar was.

"You can have me," Betty said, thinking fast. "Just let Cheryl go."

"I was counting on it," George said politely, as if they were just having a normal, everyday conversation.

"Betty, have you lost your marbles?" Cheryl hissed. "There's not a chance in fucking hell that I'm leaving you here by yourself."

"Do you want to go the same route as your girlfriend, red?" George asked acidly, and Betty felt Cheryl bristle.

"How dare you," she seethed, but Betty stepped down on her foot.

"Shut up, please," she implored, eyes on the gun in George's hand.

"That's a good girl," George praised and Betty felt waves of nausea roll over as she registered Edgar saying the same thing to her when he tortured her.

"Just go," Betty said lowly, looking at Cheryl, but she just shook her head insistently.

"No," she said firmly, tone hard.

"Oh, for Pete's sake," George suddenly growled, losing his kind tone. He shot a warning shot in the air and Cheryl flinched.

"Leave, or blondie is going to get it a hell of a lot worse," he warned.

"Just go, Cheryl, please."

Cheryl looked torn. Betty knew that she didn't want to leave her on her own, but at the same time, knew that they didn't have much of an option.

"I love you, Betty," Cheryl whispered, squeezing her hand. "I'll fix this, I swear."

Betty nodded, following Cheryl's movements as she walked out of the room. Once it was just George and Betty, George grinned.

"Well, Betty, we're in for a long night. Better get to it," he said calmly.

"Fuck you," Betty hissed, hand on her throbbing shoulder. She knew she wouldn't get very far with running but that didn't mean she couldn't try. Lifting her leg up, she kicked a table of scalpels towards George, momentarily disarming him. That was enough to get Betty running to the door. She was feeling unsteady on her feet with the blood loss but she kept running. Just as she reached the door, she felt George's hand in her hair, yanking her head back, then the pinprick of a needle going into her neck. The world became blurry in an instant.

XXX

When Betty came to, the first thing she noticed was she was in a hospital gown. The second, more pressing issue, was the fact that her wrists were in restraints. Fighting against them, she looked around, only to spot George standing a few feet away from her.

"Welcome back, Betty," he said softly, and Betty thrashed around harder, knowing it was useless.

"They'll come for me, you know," she hissed. "Jughead and his dad."

"And by that point, I'll be long gone and you'll be left to bleed out," George replied, smiling at her. He was a monster. A true monster.

"Why are you doing this?" Betty demanded through clenched teeth.

"I told you, for Edgar. We are his loyal followers. We do what he asks of us," George said.

"And, what's that?" Betty asked.

"You see, Betty, Evelyn Evernever wasn't a very healthy child. She needs all sorts of assistance to help keep her body working," George explained, and Betty furrowed her brow.

"So, what? You're stealing organs from members of the cult and giving them to her?" Betty hissed.

"Think of it as a Robin Hood act. You guys have organs by the plentiful, so what's wrong with one or two of them being donated to someone in need?" George questioned.

"You need help, George," Betty said. "This is wrong and you know it."

"Shh, Betty. It'll all be over soon. Just relax and count backwards from ten."

"Backwards from te-," it was then that she noticed the oxygen mask and began kicking even harder. George gripped her chin tightly, holding her in place, and forced the mask over her nose and mouth. All too soon, Betty's vision went blurry again, and she soon succumbed to the tidal wave of blackness engulfing her.

XXX

It was a steady beeping that brought Betty back to consciousness. Gasping, she tried to sit up but soon found herself being held down by soft but firm hands.

"Easy, baby, easy," the familiar voice soothed her and Betty looked at him.

"Jug?" Betty whispered.

"Shh, just relax," he murmured, tracing his thumb along her collarbone in soothing strokes.

"Where's Cheryl?" Betty demanded, tears thick in her throat at the thought of her cousin not getting away.

"She was the one who called us. We got to the farm just as George began the operation," Jughead said softly.

"Began? So, he didn't succeed?" Betty asked, and Jughead shook his head.

"If he had, he'd be six feet under right now and I'd be sharing a cell with Evernever," Jughead said simply, and Betty sighed in relief.

"I love you," she murmured.

"I love you too, you idiot," Jughead croaked, and Betty knew he must have been petrified to wake up and find her gone, with no hint as to where she had went.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Shh, it's alright, love. Just rest," he said.

She nodded, closing her eyes. Before she could no longer fight medication's pull, she cleared her throat.

"Farm's collecting organs," she muttered. "That's what Evernever was doing. I think we have a fighting chance in court now."

"I'll say," Jughead said. "You're stubborn, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you love me," she replied, sighing as her eyelids grew heavier.

The sound of her boyfriend's melodious laughter was what finally pushed her to relax and sleep.

Author's note: Boris Yeltsin and .SouthisdeSerpent both had suggested I write in events from last night's episode. So I hope you enjoy. Reviews lovely! Xxx


	17. Chapter 17

The next day showed Betty being released from the hospital a second time and Jughead felt like he could breathe a bit easier. He remembered the feeling of paralysis that swept over him the moment he realized Betty was not in bed next to him when he woke up. He never wanted to feel the all-consuming fear that radiated through him in that minute of time. Then, when Cheryl had called him and explained what happened, fury like he had never felt before rolled off him in waves. He needed to get to his warrior.

The moment he had stepped foot onto the farm with his dad, Pea, and Fangs in tow, he knew they had to be careful. Cheryl had met them at the entrance, fear etched into the vivacious redhead's face.

"I tried my hardest to stay with her, but George, the guy who took Betty, threatened to kill her, Jughead," Cheryl whispered, and Jughead felt fear clench his stomach muscles. That sonofabitch.

FP spoke up then. "It's not your fault, Cheryl. You did what you had to that ensured Betty's safety even the slightest bit. We'll handle the rest."

"Yes, we will," Sweet Pea said in a dangerously low voice and Jughead knew he was as tired of this bullshit as he was. They needed their queen back. Making sure his gun was tucked into the waistband of his jeans, Jughead nodded at his father once before heading inside the building.

The hallways were desolate, that much was clear. Biting back the sigh that threatened to escape, Jughead swallowed down the disappointment he felt at that realization; quiet hallways meant it was going to be harder to find where Betty was being held.

Keeping his ears strained for any sound, Jughead crept forward, peering into every room that had an open door. It wasn't until he reached the last door on the right did he stop. Noting the fact that it was locked, Jughead looked at Sweet Pea, who nodded his head before kicking his boot-clad foot against the door. It gave way easily and Jughead rushed in, gun aimed directly in front of him. The sight that befell his eyes left him seething.

There was a man bent over his girlfriend's unconscious body, getting ready to carve into her.

"I wouldn't, if I were you," Jughead hissed, and the man straightened up slowly, turning around to face him with petrified eyes that were trained on the gun aimed at his chest.

"We need her to help Evelyn," he said hoarsely.

"Back the fuck away from my girlfriend, now," Jughead said slowly, enunciating each word carefully.

Hesitating for the briefest of moments, George eventually moved away from Betty, raising his hands up slowly.

"Keep your gun on him, Pea," Jughead said, and the tall boy nodded, holding his gun out in front of him. Jughead moved to Betty, tucking the gun back into his waistband. He made quick work of the restraints wrapped around her wrists, before cupping her face.

"Betts, can you hear me, baby?" Jughead murmured. She didn't move and he knew the anesthesia George undoubtedly used on her was still taking effect. Glaring at George, who now had his wrists cuffed behind his back, he began to speak.

"Be grateful we came when we did or you wouldn't be standing here," he said lowly, before carefully picking up his love and holding her to his chest. Then, he walked out of the farm, swearing to himself and Betty that she would never again have to step foot onto the premises.

XXX

"Where'd you go?" A soft voice brought him out of his recollection, and he blinked, looking at Betty who was sitting on his bed. He cupped her cheek, tracing her jawline softly.

"Nowhere of importance," he whispered, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

She hummed.

"I need to go see Mary," Betty said, and Jughead nodded.

"I know," he replied. "You feel up to doing that today or do you want to rest one more day?"

Betty quickly shook her head. "I can't stay in bed forever, Juggie."

Sighing, he nodded. "You're right. But this time, I'm going with you and I'll make sure you take it easy, alright?"

"That sounds fair," Betty agreed, soft smiling tugging at her lips. He knew what she wanted and acquiesced by giving her a gentle kiss filled with his love for her. When they pulled apart, he backed up to give her space to get out of bed. As she slipped into a sweater, Jughead donned his leather jacket, letting the snake emblem on the back make itself known.

When they were ready, Jughead interlocked their fingers, enjoying the fact that Betty's hand was now cast-free. He was still gentle with the way he held her healed fingers, always aware of every squeeze he gave them. They made their way downstairs and into the kitchen, finding FP and Jellybean sitting at the table, drinking coffee.

"I see you can't make her quit the stuff," Jughead commented towards his dad, and FP sighed.

"Nope, Gladys started her young enough to make the addiction strong," he replied, ruffling his daughter's hair. Jellybean swatted his hand away with a huff.

"Whatever, dad," she mumbled, taking another sip. Jughead chuckled, as did Betty, and the couple made their way to the coffee pot to get their own cups. Pouring one each, Jughead looked at his dad.

"We're going to go see Mary Andrews here in a bit, dad," Jughead said, and FP nodded.

"Trying to get information on the trial?" FP asked, and it was Jughead's turn to nod.

"And, to see if she knows what method she is going to use to help bring down Evernever," he replied, knuckles turning white as his hand clenched the handle of his coffee mug. He hated that deplorable man with every fiber of his being.

"Okay. I've got to go to the station a bit later but come check on Jellybean, okay?" FP asked.

"Dad," Jellybean groaned. "I'm not a child. I can look after myself."

Jughead quirked any eyebrow. "Jelly, are you forgetting you were kidnapped a couple of weeks ago?"

Jelly waved away his point with dismissive hands. "That's besides the point. I'll be fine."

Rolling his eyes, Jughead looked back at his dad.

"We'll be back soon," he assured him, and FP sighed in relief.

"Thanks, son."

XXX

By the time Jughead and Betty arrived at Mary's hotel, they had called Archie, who had been with Veronica and told him their plan. He agreed to meet with them at the hotel and was waiting in the lobby by the time they got there.

"Hey, Arch," Jughead said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. Archie nodded his head at him, greeting him back, before turning to Betty.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Archie sighed, wrapping his arms around her thin waist. Jughead knew he was referring to the fact that she went back to the farm and nearly lost her life a second time.

"Yeah, I know," she grinned sheepishly, hugging him back. "Does it make you feel better to know that I'm really sorry and I won't do something that reckless again?"

Archie snorted. "Yeah, right. It's you, Betty."

She laughed, and Jughead shook his head fondly at the sound. Just then, Archie's phone buzzed and he read the text quickly.

"My mom is on her way down to the lobby," he said, and Betty nodded.

"Okay, good," she said.

They stood off to the side, huddled together while they waited for Mary Andrews to come down. The elevator dinged a few moments later and Jughead looked up, spotting the familiar woman. He sighed in relief as she made her way towards them.

"Hi, guys," Mary greeted them, and they all smiled.

"Hey, Ms. Andrews," Jughead replied, dipping his head in her direction.

"If I told you once, I've told you a hundred times: it's Mary, Jughead," the older woman chastised him kind-heartedly, and Jughead rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry, uhm, Mary," he apologized, and the woman laughed before resting her eyes on Betty.

"Betty, dear, how are you?" Mary asked softly, and Betty smiled.

"I'm good, Mary," she assured the kind woman, and Jughead squeezed her hand gently, a nonverbal communication that he was there, with her.

Mary's face split into a grin full of relief. "That's good to hear, sweetheart."

"So, Archie tells us you have news of the trial?" Jughead asked, and Mary nodded her head.

"Yes, I do. In fact, I have two bits of information that I think can only help our chances of winning and putting that slimy man behind bars for good," she said firmly, and Jughead began to feel hopeful, knowing Mary wouldn't lead them astray.

"Which is what, mom?" Archie asked, looking at her curiously. Mary smiled.

"Claire Matthews bit off more than she could chew with representing both Edgar and your mom, Betty," she said, looking at Jughead's girlfriend.

"Alice," Betty said quickly but not unkindly, and Mary nodded.

"Alice," she corrected herself.

"How'd she manage to do that?" Jughead asked. "My dad says she's one of the best."

"Oh, she is, when representing one client at a time," Mary clarified, smirking slightly. "And now, she's representing two clients who both had ties to such atrocities."

"I'm still not following," Jughead said, confused.

"Okay, think of it this way: had she just been defending Edgar, she may have stood a fighting chance against me because it would only be one person who did heinous acts and, given how hard she goes when it comes to getting the accused off, she may have had the jury convinced Edgar was the one who was wronged. But now that's she defending both Alice and Edgar, she's got her work cut out for her," Mary explained.

"Making your job of representing me a hell of a lot easier," Betty summarized.

"Exactly," Mary grinned, and Jughead matched it.

"Thank you, Mary. You have no idea how much this means to us," Jughead said gratefully, and Betty followed up his sentiments with a hug to the redhead. Mary smiled warmly at them before continuing.

"That's not to say our own work isn't cut out for us; it's just we stand a better chance at throwing the book at Edgar and Alice," she said, and Betty nodded quickly.

"I know we still have to prep and do everything to get ready for a long trial, but I have faith in you that we can make it work," Betty said confidently.

"Have some faith in yourself as well, Betty," Mary instructed.

"Alright," Betty replied, smiling slightly.

Jughead looked at Betty.

"You ready to bring the cult down once and for all, Betts?"

"Hell yes," she replied firmly.

"Then, let's do this, baby," he stated.

Author's note: Enjoy! Feedback lovely! Xxx


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: To Love This came up with this idea. Thanks. Xxx

Jughead and Betty spent the rest of the week working alongside Mary, helping prep Betty for court. Mary had warned her that the trial would be brutal but she was also hopeful for a good outcome, and that was enough to ease Jughead's worries about how Betty would fare. His girlfriend had been through enough and he didn't want the trial to set her back. Not one bit. But, right now, he couldn't focus on that. He had arranged with Archie and Toni to have a triple date that night at Pop's, just the three couples, and he needed Betty to have a good time.

"You ready to go, babe?" Jughead asked, coming to stand behind Betty, who was sitting in a chair and poring over notes for the trial. She looked up.

"Hmm?" Betty rubbed her eyes. "Oh, yeah, just give me a minute."

Jughead massaged her neck and shoulders gently, trying to help loosen the tension he found in the muscles.

"That feels nice," Betty sighed happily, and he laughed.

"C'mon, baby, this can wait until tomorrow. Tonight's about just having fun," he encouraged, and she nodded her head, putting her pen down. She stretched, before turning around in her chair, allowing Jughead to pull her into a standing position. He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, holding his lips there for a moment, before brushing them across her lips three times. She sighed into the kiss and he savored the feeling of her mouth on his.

"I'm addicted to your lips," she whispered, eyes closed. He chuckled softly, brushing the pad of his thumb along her cheekbone.

"I'm addicted to you," he confessed unashamedly, and she giggled.

"Juggie," she whined, and he nodded his head.

"Oh, yeah, babe. Like, you're the best addiction I've ever had," he murmured.

"I'm the only addiction you've ever had, dork," she laughed.

"Besides the point," he chuckled, and she rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, we need to go or we'll be late," she murmured, and he nodded, lacing their fingers together.

They were out of Mary's office and walking towards Jughead's motorcycle. After handing her the helmet that would forever be hers', Jughead put his own on and climbed on, allowing Betty to sit down behind him and wrap her arms around his midsection.

"Hold on tight, baby," he smiled, and he felt her laughter vibrations against his body and smiled again. They were off the next to moment.

XXX

By the time they got to Pop's, the other two couples were there, waiting for them. Jughead parked the bike and they got off, interlocking their fingers together again, and made their way inside. Heading to the table in the back, he let Betty climb in first, sliding in after her and throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"Nice of you guys to join us," Veronica teased, and Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, Ronnie, but couldn't drag this one away from trial work," he replied, and Betty ducked her head, grinning sheepishly.

"That's alright, I suppose," Veronica released a suffering sigh but Jughead knew she wasn't actually mad.

"We ordered your usual for you guys," Toni piped up, and Jughead dipped his head in her direction, while Betty smiled.

"Thanks, T," she murmured, and Pop came by just then, placing their milkshakes in front of them.

"Betty, good to see you darling," the older man said gently, and Betty smiled, lower lip wobbling a little. Jughead placed his hand on her thigh, squeezing gently and hoping she knew she could pool her strength from him if she needed to. Perhaps she did, because she placed her hand on top of his and played with his fingers.

"Thanks, Pop," she replied softly. Jughead knew that by now the whole town had heard about Edgar and what had happened at the farm and he'd be damned if anyone tried to get Betty to talk about things she wasn't ready to talk about. At least with Pop, he knew he wouldn't push his love to talk until she was ready. Or, ever, if he was being one hundred percent honest with himself. That was just who Pop was as a person. An incredibly kind and gentle soul.

Pop nodded his head and left with the promise that their food would be out shortly. Turning to look at them, Archie spoke up.

"How are things going with my mom, Betty?" Archie asked, and she sighed.

"They're going," she replied, and Jughead knew just how tired she was.

"Do you guys think there's a chance at putting Evernever behind bars for good?" Cheryl asked, and it was Jughead who spoke up this time.

"It's either that or I'll put him six feet under," he replied in a deadly calm voice. He was still so angry with the man and, when Betty wasn't in his arms, (which was a rare occasion these days), he had plenty of time to sit there and stew in his anger. This man had brought physical and emotional harm to the love of his life, not giving a damn about her pleas for him to stop. And, Jughead knew he wouldn't have stopped if the Serpents hadn't gotten to the farm in time. He still heard Betty's cries during the night whenever a bad dream captured her in it's vice-like grip. He still woke up and shushed her gently as he pulled her into his chest, letting her tears soak his shirt.

She had improved vastly, but there were still moments when she let her façade slip and Jughead saw how she was truly doing. He wished she knew she didn't have to pretend around him. Especially around him. There were still moments when she'd clench her fists so tightly, blood would automatically seep out of the cuts and he'd doctor them for her. He had no issue doctoring her palms for her because, even though they weren't married, he had adopted the vow "in sickness and in health" and had applied it to them. No, what he was worried about was that she wasn't letting herself heal.

Just then, Betty brought him out of his thoughts.

"Where'd you go?" Betty asked softly, and he squeezed her fingers gently.

"Nowhere of importance," he assured quietly, not wanting to add more stress to her plate. He remembered how she was at the beginning of the school year, right before summer ended and she was helping Mary with Archie's trial against Hiram. She had medicated herself to get through the long nights, choosing to stay up and get shit done over sleeping and he would not let her compromise her health in anyway again. Not because of him.

"Well, cousin," Cheryl spoke up. "We do have a bit of good news."

Jughead and Betty both turned to look at her, encouraging her to continue. "Evelyn is staying in that facility indefinitely."

Betty quirked her eyebrow. "How do you know this?"

Cheryl ran a hand through her hair. "I may have gone to the facility."

"And, what? They gave you that information willingly?" Jughead asked, and Cheryl turned her round eyes onto him.

"They'll do that?" Cheryl asked in surprise, and suddenly, Betty was laughing. Jughead whipped his head around to look at her, a warm and all-encompassing feeling rising in his chest. It had been so long since he had heard her genuinely laugh, he almost forgot what it sounded like. She stopped immediately when she noticed everyone grinning at her.

"Sorry," she whispered, cheeks turning red.

"Don't ever apologize for being happy, baby," Jughead replied, and she looked at him, before nodding her head.

"Alright," she murmured.

The group carried on with their date, laughter filling the diner. Their worries weren't forgotten but held at bay for the time being and Jughead couldn't be more grateful for the respite that had come at the perfect opportunity. He knew they all needed a night of peace and that's exactly what they got. He was really fucking thankful.

Author's note: Enjoy. Got a couple ideas about this story that I want to explore. Hope you liked this chapter and continue reading and reviewing! Xxx


	19. Chapter 19

The trial had begun and Jughead couldn't have been more nervous. He didn't want to show his fear, however. Not when Betty herself was keeping her head calm and collected. Mary, Betty, and Jughead had met early every morning for the past week, with Betty bringing coffee and bagels for them all as they prepped for the day's work. She herself would have difficulty eating anything, too nervous to have much in her stomach besides coffee, and Jughead would have to coax her gently into eating something so she didn't get lightheaded during the morning trial.

She was still having nightmares almost every night, with Jughead helping her to calm down and come back to herself after each and every one. Last night's nightmare had been one of the worst she had. She had woken up screaming, Jughead following suit as soon as his brain had registered what was going on. It had taken many minutes of gentle shushing and murmuring to get his girlfriend to relax long enough to tell him what the dream had been about. She was back at the farm and Edgar was torturing Jughead this time. Instead of feeling uncomfortable about that dream for the sake of his safety, it made him hate Evernever even more for still being able to torment his love even though he was in prison, far away from her.

The morning portion of the trial concluded and the judge called for a recess, saying they'd reconvene after lunch. Jughead stood up and made his way to where Betty and Mary were, conversing lowly with one another. Once he reached his love, he squeezed her shoulder gently, and she looked up, tremulous smile on her lips.

"Hi, Juggie," she whispered, and he smiled gently.

"Hi, baby," he murmured. "You're doing great."

She nodded but opted to not say anything and he knew she was nervous. The afternoon portion of court would be when she'd be crossed examined by Claire Matthews. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous but it was his job to remain calm, for the sake of his girlfriend, and he knew he couldn't let his nerves betray him and show themselves.

Just then, Mary's intern came into the room they had all retired to, arms loaded down with bags of takeout food.

"Here's the Chinese food you wanted, Mary," he said.

"Thanks, Tony," Mary replied. Tilting her head to a side table, she continued speaking. "You can put the bags there."

Tony nodded, and set them down. Per usual, Jughead was starving and knew he needed food. However, he looked at Betty, who looked like she couldn't fathom the thought of stomaching food and pushed aside his hunger for the time being.

"C'mon, babe, let's get something to eat," he encouraged, and she sighed before nodding.

"Alright, I'll try to eat something," she whispered, and he smiled. There was his warrior; strong and resilient.

After taking out cartons of sweet and sour chicken and low mien, they both sat down at the table and began eating. He watched as Betty picked up a piece of her chicken with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth, chewing it before looking at Mary.

"How do you think I'll fare with Claire?" Betty asked once she had swallowed down her mouthful of food. Jughead took a bite of his low mien as he studied Mary's face. The older woman sighed.

"Honestly, Betty? Claire is tough as nails. She likes to take names and numbers. But you don't take any shit from anybody, least of all her. I think you'll fare just fine," she replied encouragingly. Jughead wanted to chuckle at Mary's cursing because it was just so out of character to hear it come from the usually polite lady but he knew desperate times called for desperate measures so didn't say anything.

They finished their lunch and soon enough, their recess was over and they were on their way back into the courtroom. Jughead kissed Betty quickly but thoroughly, before smiling softly.

"Give them hell, babe," he instructed, and she nodded.

"Of course," she replied, eyes twinkling.

XXX

Mary had been right, Jughead deduced uncomfortably. Claire Matthews was tough as nails and not going easy on Betty. But, with that being said, Betty was equally as tough and holding her own against the formidable woman and Jughead couldn't have been prouder. By default, though, he decided he hated everything about Claire Matthews, right down to her too tall high heels.

"So, Ms. Cooper," Claire said, voice ringing throughout the courthouse. "You claim you knew my client, Mr. Evernever, wasn't a good man and yet, you went to the farm that night willingly? Why was that?"

Jughead narrowed his eyes. This bitch. Trying to make it seem like Betty didn't have a good reason for being there. He looked at Betty, willing her to understand that he was sending her strength.

"That would be because I needed to get my mother and sister out of there," Betty replied calmly. "Evernever clearly had them under some sort of false illusion that he was a good man who could do no wrong."

"But, your mother and sister didn't want to come with you, did they? They stayed and left you with him. Why do you think that would be?" Claire demanded.

"Because, clearly, Evernever had already brainwashed them past the point of no return," Betty said calmly.

"Had you not tried to brainwash them yourself, Ms. Cooper? By trying to plant seeds of doubt about what the farm, a respectable organization ran by a husband and wife, did with their members? You were seeking to shatter their ideas of what the farm did, were you not?" Claire asked.

"Objection," Mary stood up. "Ms. Matthews is badgering my client, your Honor."

The judge nodded. "We'll disregard the last question. Move it along, Ms. Matthews."

Jughead smirked inwards, feeling a bit smug that Mary got Matthews to stop that line of questioning.

"No further questions, your Honor," Claire said.

The judge nodded, before looking at Betty. "Ms. Cooper, you're free to get down from the stand. We'll reconvene tomorrow morning, at nine o'clock sharp." He banged his gavel down, dismissing them, and Jughead watched as Betty got down from the stand and made her way to Mary, frowning when he noticed her fists clenched. Knots twisting in his stomach uncomfortably, he waited for Mary and her to come meet him. Once they did, he gently slid his thumbs underneath her fingers, loosening her palms.

"You did great," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks," Betty sighed. "Claire Matthews is a horrible woman."

Jughead nodded. "That I agree with."

Mary straightened her notes into an orderly fashion before placing them in her briefcase. "Good work today, Betty. I'll meet you tomorrow morning at seven-thirty to prep for the day. Why don't you go home now and just take it easy?"

Betty sighed. "I'll be able to take it easy once trial is over and Evernever is behind bars."

Mary nodded, then looked over Betty's shoulder curiously. Wondering what she was looking at, Jughead turned around and spotted a man who appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties standing slightly behind them.

"Can I help you?" Mary asked politely. He nodded, eyes on Betty and Jughead moved closer to her, keeping a firm arm around her waist.

"Hi, Betty," he said, and she furrowed her brow.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Betty asked.

The man chuckled. "I'm Charles Smith, your brother."

Author's note: Enjoy. Also, any courtroom related stuff I talked about is pulled directly from binge watching marathons of Law and Order: SVU. Go me! Xxx


	20. Chapter 20

TRIGGER WARNING: SELF-HARM.

[This idea comes from an anon. Thank you so much for it!]

The next few days were a whirlwind for Jughead and Betty. Jughead tried his best to come to terms with the fact that his half-brother, whom he was told to believe was dead, was back. He knew Betty was having an equally as hard time adjusting to the intrusion in her life. It wasn't that either one of them weren't happy to see him; it was just the mere fact that he came into their lives at the shittiest time imaginable. Court proceedings were taking up the majority of their time and they tried to spend time with one another and their friends with what little free time they did have.

For a half-brother they had never met before, Charles was doing admirably about giving them space. He would just come to the courthouse and watch the trial, giving Betty the knowledge that he was there if and when she needed him but not encroaching on her time. Jughead appreciated that for what it was worth. Just then, the judge banged his gavel down, ending the afternoon session and dismissing them from the courtroom. Jughead stood to his feet, feeling immensely guilty over the fact that he had zoned out on the last portion of the trial for the day.

Walking over to his girlfriend, he noted her fingers curled inwards and palms clenched, and his heart panged. Placing his thumbs underneath her curled fingers, Jughead swiftly, but gently, loosened her palms from their prison, kissing her forehead in the process.

"Don't do that, baby," he murmured low enough so only she could hear. He watched as she blinked, coming back to herself, before nodding.

"Sorry," she whispered, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and tugged her into his side, kissing the top of her head once she found a home in the crook of his neck.

"Don't be," he replied. "You did fantastic today."

She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes, he noted. "Thanks."

Smiling in turn, he looked at Mary. "Mary, I think we're going to get out of her for the evening. Is there a specific time we need to meet you in the morning?"

"Court won't start until ten-thirty tomorrow morning so I'm going to go ahead and say eight-thirty is when we need to reconvene. Get some sleep, the both of you," the older woman replied in her gentle, motherly fashion.

After agreeing to be at the courthouse at the designated time, Jughead led Betty out of the courtroom and away from the press who, per usual, were trying to get a quote from her.

"Ms. Cooper, can you tell us anything about Edgar Evernever?"

"Ms. Cooper, how do you feel about Charles, your half-brother, coming back into town after all these years of being pronounced as dead?"

"Ms. Cooper! Ms. Cooper! Ms. Cooper!"

On and on it went as Jughead pulled Betty impossibly tight against his side and she buried her head even further into the crook of his neck, the both of them attempting to ignore the flashes of cameras all around them. One reporter had the audacity to reach out his hand and try and touch his girlfriend and Jughead snarled.

"I wouldn't if you valued your arm," he snapped, and the reporter froze, before nodding and quickly retracted his arm.

"Fucking piranhas," Jughead muttered as he got to where his dad had gone and got his truck. Opening the door, he let Betty get in first, then climbed in after her.

"All good?" FP asked, and Jughead sighed.

"No, but please just drive, dad," he replied. FP nodded and then they were off.

XXX

By the time they had gotten back to Betty's old house, Betty had fallen asleep against Jughead's shoulder. Not wanting to wake her up, he lifted her up gently and carried her from the truck. Once he was in what was her old room, (now, his), he laid her down on the bed, pulling off her slacks. The sight that met him had him staring in horror.

Her legs were littered with cuts, both old and new. Some so fresh they looked like they could have been inflicted that very morning.

"Oh, baby, what'd you do to yourself?" Jughead muttered. He stared at her legs for a moment longer, trying best to decide what to do. Should he wake her up and ask her what had happened or should he let her sleep and talk to her when she'd be coherent enough to discuss such a serious topic? Deciding to go with the latter, he tucked her in, pulling the covers up to her chin, before brushing his lips across her forehead and going to sit down in the chair at her desk, waiting for her to wake up.

XXX

Jughead realized he had fallen asleep at some point because the room was suddenly darker than he realized and Betty was no longer in bed.

"Shit," he muttered, standing up. He looked to the left of him and realized there was a soft light coming from the crack underneath the bathroom door and he made his way towards it. Not sure what to expect on the other side, he opened it slowly, preparing himself for the worst.

However, whatever he thought the worst was going to consist of, he hadn't been prepared for this. Betty. His love. His light. Sitting on the ground, raking a razor blade across her legs, crying quietly as she bit her lip. He didn't hesitate as he lurched forward, dropping to his knees.

"Betty, honey, that's enough," he said softly, clasping her wrist in his hand gently and stilling her movements. "Let it go, hon." He got her to loosen her grip on the razor blade and successfully pulled it out of her grasp, placing it as far out of reach as he could without actually leaving the room. Then, he began to assess the damage.

He grabbed a towel from underneath the cabinet and began to try and get the blood to stop. She was still crying.

"I-I'm sorry," she hiccupped.

"Shh, it's okay, love. It's okay," he whispered, running a hand through her hair soothingly.

He got the blood to stop long enough to see how deep the cuts were.

"Fuck," he cursed underneath his breath as he realized some of them needed stitches. "We need to get these stitched up, honey."

"No!" Betty protested vehemently. "They'll put me in the same facility as Evelyn. They're fine, Juggie."

Jughead sighed. He knew she had a point, no matter how much he wanted to disagree with her. Nodding his head, he stood up.

"I've got the majority of the bleeding stopped. I'm going to wrap your legs, alright, sweetheart?" Jughead asked, and she quickly nodded her head, still hiccupping here and there.

He grabbed the gauze and medical tape from the first aid kit and he sat down on the floor next to his girlfriend. "Place your legs on my lap."

She did as he instructed and soon, he was bandaging her legs. Once he sealed off the last of the gauze, he looked at her, noting the tear stains trailing down her cheeks as she fell silent.

"Why, baby?" Jughead asked quietly, and she began crying again. "Shh, love, it's okay."

He pulled her into his chest, rocking her back and forth as she clung onto the lapels of his jacket. Once her tears had subsided once more, he pulled back and looked at her.

"I'm just tired, Juggie. So tired," she explained and he didn't have to work hard to hear the exhaustion in her voice. He nodded.

"I know you are, sweetheart," he murmured. "But this? This is not the answer."

"I know. I guess I just needed to feel something, anything other than the stress from the trial and the pain from nightmares I am having every night," she muttered.

He cupped her face, tracing her cheek bone. "So you talk to me, or Archie, or Veronica. Hell, even my dad would listen. A therapist could do wonders. But you can't do this. Not now, not ever. You understand me?"

She traced his face with her eyes, before nodding. "I understand. I understand."

Nothing more was said but Jughead made a vow then and there to get his love the help she needed to overcome her demons.

Author's note: Thanks for the suggestion, anon. If any of you are triggered, feel free to shoot me a message. I, too, know what it's like to be in Betty's shoes and this was a very challenging chapter to write. I hope I did it justice. Enjoy. Xxx


	21. Chapter 21

Court continued to march forward. Betty continued to fight. In retrospect, life went on. So, why was Jughead still stuck in the time frame of that horrid night in the bathroom? The night where he found his love harming herself? He didn't have the answers to the million and one questions circling in his mind but he did know this: if it was the last thing he did, he was going to make sure Evernever paid for his sins.

The trial was on hold and Claire Matthews was in her element. Mary Andrews hadn't been able to find any incriminating evidence against Evernever except what they already had and she wasn't completely, one hundred percent confident it would hold up in court. That didn't mean she didn't try, however. The way Mary fought for justice for his girlfriend left Jughead breathless with wonder. She took absolutely no prisoners in her quest for justice and they were just along for the ride. He was exceptionally proud that Betty was being represented by her and come hell or high water, Evernever would come to rue the day he ever set his eyes on his girlfriend. Jughead would make sure of that.

Jughead and Betty currently found themselves in Pop's, sharing a basket of onion rings and sipping on a milkshake apiece. Betty had been quiet and Jughead had been contemplating when it would be the perfect time to address the elephant in the room. Now seemed as good as any.

"Do you want to talk about what I walked in on the other night?" Jughead asked quietly, carefully, lest she got scared and shut down. He watched as she swallowed nervously and ran his thumb across her knuckles soothingly, letting her know there was absolutely no judgement coming from him. Just complete and raw concern. She sighed.

"I can't make sense of why I do some of the things I do," she whispered, staring into her milkshake and Jughead wondered where her mind had taken her. Was it down the dark path that she often fought against? He hoped not. Not because he believed she was a bad person but because he didn't want her punishing herself for things out of her control. He waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. After a moment, she nodded a little and started speaking again, the soft tone emanating from her soothing Jughead's anxieties for the time being.

"I know what I did was wrong and I shouldn't even possess the knowledge of wanting to harm myself but like I said, I just wanted to feel something. Anything other than the all-encompassing guilt I feel," she muttered, fists clenched atop the table.

Jughead loosened her fists, uncurling her fingers, and entwined her fingers with his as he thought about what to say. Eventually, he landed on a question.

"Guilt about what, baby?" Jughead asked quietly, desperately trying to understand things from her perspective.

She sighed.

"If I just hadn't been so adamant about proving Evernever's guilt, then none of us would be in this position. My mom wouldn't be in jail and we wouldn't be facing court hearings every other day," she mumbled, eyes downcast. Jughead tilted her chin up with his index finger, coaxing her to make eye contact.

"Or," he said, "perhaps we would be exactly in this position. Edgar was, is, a bad person. What he did to you was wrong and illegal, end of story."

"And my mom?" Betty whispered, and Jughead sighed.

"To be quite frank, I really couldn't give two shits less about her, babe. She made her choices and now she has to live with them," he replied. "She knew exactly what she was doing when she got in bed with Evernever."

"And, if she hadn't?" Betty implored. "Gotten in bed with him, I mean."

Jughead sighed, running his free hand through his unruly hair. "I don't know. I won't pretend to understand why your mother does the things she does; I can't begin to fathom the inner workings of her mind. However, I will say that I don't think she thought this all the way through. She left you. Left you alone with him. That's not something I'm willing to forget. Or forgive, if I'm being honest."

He watched as his love mulled over his words before eventually nodding.

"I see your point," she admitted.

He placed his lips against her temple and held them there for an immeasurable amount of time before pulling back slightly. "What are we going to do about Charles?"

Betty sighed. "I don't know. The fact that our half brother has shown up at the worst possible time imaginable has thrown me for a loop. I want to get to know him but -,"

"But, he reminds you of Alice and you're not sure how to feel about that?" Jughead guessed, and Betty fell silent, providing all the answer Jughead needed. "That's okay, sweetheart. You're allowed to feel however you want about her; not one emotion is right or wrong here."

"You make it seem so easy, Jug," Betty sighed.

"That's because sometimes it is, baby," Jughead murmured. They fell silent then, each wrapped in their own thoughts. Jughead, one who would always advocate for a calm silence, found himself worried about where her thoughts were leading her. "Where's your head at?"

She shrugged. "I guess I'm just trying to come to terms with everything. I mean, I'm about to go up against Alice in court and we have a half brother who just showed up out of the blue. It's a lot to process at once."

Jughead nodded. "And, I get that, I truly do. Just, don't shut me out, okay?"

"Have I ever?" Betty wondered.

Jughead pressed his forehead against hers'.

"You really want me to answer that?" Jughead replied quietly, and she laughed softly as she shook her head.

"No," she whispered, leaning in to brush her lips against his before placing her head on his shoulder. Jughead wrapped an arm around her, holding her into his side securely. This is what he cherished the most; when she was wrapped up in his arms and he knew she was safe. Whether that meant safe from the outside world or safe from herself, it didn't matter to Jughead; he was just happy to know that she trusted him inexplicably. And, he wouldn't take that trust for granted. Not now, not ever.

Author's note: Short and simple one after all the heavy stuff. Hope you enjoy. Xxx


	22. Chapter 22

Trial had kickstarted again and Claire Matthews was taking no prisoners with a vengeance. She was cutthroat and ruthless in her attempt to sway the jury in Evernever's favor and Jughead was sick and tired of her bull shit. He was sick and tired of the torment she was putting his love through. Betty, who had had so many open struggles and challenges since being the farm's hostage. She didn't deserve this. Any of it. Not one bit. And Jughead…well, to say he was mad would be putting it lightly. He was simply inflamed with the fire ignited in his stomach. Sighing, he watched as Claire Matthews nodded her head towards Evernever before turning to Mary, smirk intact as if to say, "game on".

Mary Andrews stood up, squared her shoulders, and walked around the table that she and Betty were sitting at. Jughead, who was directly behind Betty watched as a soft smile split across Mary's face and wondered what her game plan was.

"Mr. Evernever," Mary began conversationally. "How long would you say you knew my client, Ms. Cooper?"

Jughead watched as Evernever looked at Mary, then cut his eyes to Betty, a sinister smirk tugging at his lips. Biting back a snarl, Jughead glared at the pathetic excuse of a human, waiting for him to answer.

"Since her mother joined the farm," he replied.

"The cult, you mean," Mary said calmly, and it was Jughead's turn to smirk as he watched Evernever shift in his seat. If there was one thing he learned about the disgusting man before him, it was the fact that he didn't like to not have the upper hand.

"I wouldn't call it that," he said softly.

"Wouldn't you, though? Call it a cult, I mean," Mary clarified. "After all, you and Ms. Evernever, your wife, worked hard to recruit members and had a nice and cushiony following by the time Sheriff Jones raided the farm."

Evernever narrowed his eyes. "If you'd be so kind as to leave my wife out of this, Ms. Andrews."

"Ah, but that's not really your choice to make," she said softly, small upturn of her lips. Then, "what was your aim with a Mr. Kevin Keller?"

Jughead wasn't quite sure where Mary was going with this line of questioning and by the looks of it, neither was Evernever.

"Mr. Keller?" Evernever repeated, and Mary nodded once. "Well, he was just a member of the farm."

"The cult. Because whether or not you want to admit it, that's exactly what it was, Edgar," Mary said softly, eyes narrowed into slits.

"Excuse me, your Honor, but is there a point behind this line of questioning besides badgering my client?" Claire Matthews asked, exasperated.

"There is, Claire," Mary affirmed, before turning her attention back to the stand. "What was it like, Edgar, recruiting high school members for the cult?"

"If you'd please, I'd prefer to call it the farm," Evernever replied, his mask of indifference slipping from his features slightly; Mary was getting under his skin.

"For the sake of time being on my side, I'll rephase. What was it like recruiting high school members for the farm?" Mary asked.

"Well, we only got the ones who wanted to join involved. Anybody else wasn't having their hand forced," Evernever laughed softly.

"But, didn't Ms. Evernever pose as a high school student herself to try and recruit more members, willing or not? Wouldn't that, by default, fall under the category of, "forcing their hand"? And, furthermore, once the students had joined the farm, wasn't it near impossible to back out? I believe there were restrictions in place for the students, were there not?" Mary challenged, and Jughead could hear his own heart beating rapidly in his ears.

"Such as?" Evernever asked lazily.

"Well," Mary began, consulting her notes. "Wasn't a Ms. Cheryl Blossom forbidden from running for prom queen if she wanted to stay with the farm?"

"That was simply a suggestion," Evernever replied.

"A suggestion made by your wife and reinforced with the knowledge that Cheryl wouldn't be allowed to stay with the farm, ultimately then not allowed to be in communication with her brother, Jason. A brother, I'd like to point out, that has since passed two years ago," Mary said.

Got him.

Jughead watched in grim satisfaction as Evernever stared at Mary, his tongue moistening his top lip as he studied her.

"Yes," he finally admitted. "Evelyn did say that but there are certain obligations that come with being a part of my family."

Jughead wanted to bark out a laugh because what the fuck?

"A family?" Mary questioned incredulously. "You held people hostage. Held my client hostage."

"I'm sorry, but where is the proof in that statement?" Claire snapped and Jughead wanted to throttle the imbecile. Mary smirked.

"Evidence on the screen, please," Mary said, and a projector brought up a screen of Betty sitting in FP's office, bruises covering her skin. The image flicked and then there was one with her and the branding, "the farm". Flick, and her broken fingers. Mary turned back to Claire, triumphant smile stretched across her lips.

"This proves nothing," Claire hissed. "For all we know your client did that to herself. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she's harmed herself."

Jughead balked because how the fuck does she know that. Looking at Betty, he saw her glaring daggers at the woman, fists curled, and willed her to relax through his body language. She seemed to get the hint because she loosened her fists, laying her palms flat on the table as she lessened her glare into something not as glacial.

"I'd like to call a recess, your honor," Mary said, and it was Claire's turn to grin triumphantly. Jughead wasn't sure how she suddenly got the upper hand but he sure as shit wasn't going to sit there and let her attack his girlfriend. Mind on Betty's palms and thighs, he stood up as soon as the judge dismissed them for the day and made his way to Betty.

"I hate that deplorable woman," Betty spat, and Jughead laced their fingers together lest she get the idea to dig her nails into her palms; he didn't want to give Claire even an inch more of satisfaction at knowing she got to them.

"Don't worry, Betty. Claire will not win and Edgar will be locked away, I swear," Mary replied, ushering her and Jughead out of the courtroom.

Jughead squeezed Betty's hand as she took steadying breaths. She needed to know she had his full support at the moment.

"If it's alright with you, Mary, I think I'm just ready to head home," Betty said, looking exhausted. Mary nodded immediately.

"Get a good night's rest, dear," she replied. Jughead took that as his cue to get them the fuck out of there.

Once they were outside and walking away from the circus of reporters, Jughead wrapped his arm around her, tucking her into his side.

"We're going to win this, Betty," he said firmly.

"How do you know that?" Betty asked tiredly, shoulders slumped. "I don't have it in me to fight anymore."

"Hey," Jughead said softly but firmly, cradling her cheeks. "You listen to me Elizabeth Cooper. You can't give up the fight now. Not after we've come this far. You've survived a hell of a lot worse than this and you'll keep surviving. Do you believe that? Do you believe me?"

He watched as Betty traced her eyes across his fast before nodding.

"I believe you," she said softly.

There really wasn't anything left to say after that and Jughead promised himself he'd see to it that Evernever ended up behind bars, no matter what it took; no matter the cost.

Author's note: Enjoy! Comments lovely! Xxx


	23. Chapter 23

In a surprising turn of events, Mary Andrews was able to sway the jury in her favor. She fought tooth and nail to get them to understand that Evernever was an absolute atrocious monster and soon enough, they were off deliberating on how they wanted to proceed. Jughead knew Betty was nervous; knew she had had a trying time when being pitted against Alice.

Alice had surprised Jughead by breaking down on the stand completely. She admitted her part in the cult; admitted that she knew Evernever wasn't all he seemed to be. She had tried for the sympathy tactic when explaining that she never meant for Betty to get her but all it did was make Jughead's blood boil. He wasn't fooled by her apparent remorse. Not one bit.

By the time the jury shuffled back into the courtroom, everyone was waiting on pins and needles.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" The judged asked.

"We have, your Honor," a woman replied.

"And, how do you find Mr. Edgar Evernever?" The judged asked.

"We find the defendant guilty on all charges," the woman replied, and Jughead felt like the weight that had been wrapped around his heart and squeezing impossibly tight lessened significantly. He looked at Betty, who was sitting shell-shocked, and smiled at her.

"It's over," he mouthed, and she nodded, tears gathered in her eyes. Jughead watched as Mary smirked in Claire Matthew's general direction before turning her back on her completely in order to congratulate Betty.

"You did it, honey," Mary grinned.

Betty smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you or your help, Mary."

"We did make a pretty good team, didn't we?" Mary asked with a chuckle, and Betty nodded. Jughead watched as she seemed to physically relax from all the stress that had been placed on her shoulders. He knew she could finally breathe properly.

XXX

In the coming weeks, Jughead watched as Betty got healthy and happy once more. He encouraged her to reach out to a therapist, one that specialized in self-harm. He knew that it was a big step for her, to trust someone other than him to see her deepest, darkest secrets, but she was doing better than she gave herself credit for. Just like he knew she would.

It was one evening after her therapy session that found them laying in bed.

"How does it feel, baby?" Jughead asked softly, fingertips trailing up and down her bare arms.

"Hmm?" Betty hummed sleepily, and he chuckled.

"How does it feel to have this nightmare finally behind us?" Jughead asked quietly, and Betty sighed happily.

"It feels amazing. You know what feels even more amazing, Jug?" Betty asked.

He stole a kiss. "What?"

"You. Being here through all of it. Not giving up on me even though I gave you many opportunities to. I love you. More than I can express," she murmured.

Jughead stared at her with adoration filled eyes. "And, I love you too, my Betts."

Then, like it always should have been, they molded together into one, filling the empty spots in each other with their gentle touches and caresses alone. Everything was as it should be. And that was good enough.

Fin.

Author's note: I hope you all enjoyed this story as much I as enjoyed writing it. (HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS, SECOND BUGHEAD FANFIC FINISHED!)

Now, I've still got other stories to get to, but I really wanted to finish this one. Leave me some love and have a great day. Xxx


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